Purgatory
by ContraryMaryBee
Summary: Purgatory, between the living and the dead. He had always been a strange boy, now, they all realize just how different he is. Take your pills Naruto, for all our sakes. Rated M for lots gore and swearing. Insane!Naruto....my favorite. also...its YAOI thx
1. Chapter 1

Ya so, the fanfiction world hasnt seen me since....March, i think but oh well....things to do and not enough time to do them...

i've created a new story for you, hopefully it will be better and i'm able to finish it....and the others i've put up.

well, here goes.

-mayu

PURGATORY

CHAPTER ONE

"My name is Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto in fact, and I like my fox Spitz, yes named after that amazing treat of sunflower seeds. I just recently came to the village after living with the Sannin Jiraiya. I dislike the evil demon fox that lives in my brain that won't shut the fuck up and those annoying vegetable/fruit things called tomatoes. I guess my hobbies are sleeping in trees and training. My dream for the future is to become strong enough to suppress that evil fox that lives in my brain …and I want to kill you." Naruto pointed to Kakashi, who sat on the railing, staring at him in fascination.

The blonde's new two teammates, Uchiha Sasuke, and Haruno Sakura, were staring a t him as well. "What?" he asked, absently pulling on the tail of the orange fox lounging around his neck.

"What the fuck are you on?" Sasuke growled, leaning away form the strange boy.

"Bi-polar pills, oh, and some sort of schizophrenic pill…to stop all the voices you know." He answered nonchalantly. Sakura edged away, slightly crept out.

Kakashi coughed into his hand, "um…why do you want to kill me?" Naruto stared at him with his large blue eyes.

"Just for the fact that you left me to mob number…um….7 I belive…you sat all happy on the roof top and let them beat me…only when I appeared close to death did you jump down and save me. I was 6, I think." Naruto blinked slowly, a haze in his eyes. Sakura gaped in horror at first him, and then their new sensei, who had gone pale.

Kakashi looked away, "Anyways, you, your turn." He gestured at Sasuke, who was looking at Naruto with a calculating gaze.

The boy leaned his elbows on his knees and stared into through the concrete, "my name is Uchiha Sasuke, I don't have many likes, and a lot of dislike, my hobby is training, and my dream, no my ambition, is to kill a certain man."

Silence followed his words, his team staring at him confused and worried until…

"How are you gonna do it?" Naruto turned to him with owlish eyes, seeming intent on Sasuke's face. Only a crease of his brow showed that the avenger had heard him, so Naruto continued.

"Are you gonna stab him? Burn him? Blow his head off? Poison him? Torture? Maim? Is it gonna be a slow death? A quick one? Have you even thought of this?" Naruto listed the ways to kill, oblivious to Sakura's growing horror.

"What about blood loss? Or an honorable death fight? What about" "Stop!" a screech interrupted him, and Naruto turned to blink at Sakura, who had a hand over her mouth and tears in her eyes.

"How can you list them so emotionless, don't you feel anything?" Sakura spoke, trembling. Naruto blinked again, uncomprehending.

"Aren't you at least sorry you can think of killing someone like that?" Sakura continued. Naruto looked at her, tilting his head to the side like a confused puppy.

"Aren't you a shinobi? Aren't you in this line of work to kill people?" he said. Sakura had no answer to the boy's confused words. "Then what are you doing here?" Sakura sat quietly, wonder what she really was doing, pretending to be a ninja?

Kakashi observed the pink haired girl's revelation quietly, looking over the blond boy who had resumed staring up at the sky. _He really doesn't understand… Sandaime was right. _Kakashi thought solemnly, regretting his past actions towards the boy. Clearing his throat, he asked, "Sakura, its your turn."

The girl looked up, as if woken from a trance, and started, haltingly, "Um, Haruno Sakura, I like my family, and my pet rabbit, um, I don't like people who bully for no reason, my hobby is I guess, reading, and my dream..well...i..i don't know anymore." tears welled up in her eyes as she glanced at Naruto.

The blond reached over and patted her shoulder, and for some reason, his silent comforting helped, her tears stopped. Sasuke glared at her out of the corner of his eye, disgusted by her weakness. He was ab out to speak when Naruto caught his eye, locking gazes with the Uchiha. Something about the blonds empty blue eyes paused him, and Sasuke looked down, not wanting a confrontation.

Kakashi observed his new students for a bit before speaking, attracting their attention, "Well, tomorrow, I want you to be at training ground seven for some survival training." Sakura hesitantly raised her hand, her confidence coming back.

"But sensei, we already went through survival training in the academy, why do we need more?" not only Kakashi, but Naruto and Sasuke as well looked at her in astonishment.

"The academy is only for show, the real ninja training appears in a genin team, where it really matters. The academy is useless in the terms of shinobi survival," Naruto giggled, a strange sound coming from the deranged boy, "the civilian council insisted on it, they thought it would 'humanize' us ninjas."

Sakura appeared to be having another realization about her life choice, and fell quiet once more.

"Well, I shouldn't tell you this, but there's a test for every new genin team graduated from the academy, and only about 33% of those teams pass to become genin....those that do not pass, return to the academy." Kakashi smirked beneath his mask at his new teams faces. Even Naruto was concerned, maybe even a little angry.

"W-what do you mean?"

Kakashi's lips twitched under his mask, something his new students could not notice being there was a mask in the way, "i mean, of the graduating teams that fail, are sent back to the Academy. Now, at 5 AM, I want you at the training ground, don't be late!" the silver haired man tipped them a salute and then disappeared into a cloud of smoke.

Sasuke stood up and walked in front of Naruto, arms crossed, "..."

Naruto stared up at him, lightly petting Spitz's tail, "..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Fight me."

"Why?"

"So I can defeat you and prove I'm stronger"

"Why?"

"So I can defeat my brother"

"Why?"

"Why do you keep saying why?!"

"Cause your answers aren't good enough."

"..."

Sakura watched this tennis match, amazed Sasuke hadn't beat the blond boy to pulp yet.

Naruto elaborated airily, looking up at the glaring boy above him, "For everything we do, there is a bigger reason behind it, a cause for it. Yours, I believe is mostly out of pride, and a bit of anger. Pride, as in your ego refuses to back down and believe that you are not the strongest, and anger because in your own eyes, you are not as amazing as everyone thinks you are, so you take it out on them."

His little bit of wisdom stunned Sasuke and Sakura to silence, as it seemed exactly plausible enough to be truth. Naruto stood up and lightly treaded to the railing of the academy roof, leaning over to look at the milling people below.

"Beware of the masked ninja, for he creeps in the shadows, hehe." with that last giggle, the blond boy flipped himself over the edge, free falling. Sakura shrieked and ran to the railing, expecting to see a Naruto sized crater in the ground. What she didn't expect to see, was Naruto giving her a jaunty wave from mid air, and then the boy disappearing in a flicker of movement.

"What was that?" sakura asked in wonder.

"Speed. Pure, unabridged, speed." came Sasuke. Sakura glanced at her crush, who stood staring down to the ground with his hands in his pockets.

"What do you mean, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura ventured, still wary of the fury behind his cobalt eyes.

Sasuke's eyes flickered to her and he turned to leave, allowing the question to stand. Sakura looked down, biting her lip, feeling insignificant until his voice came back to her from the stairs.

"It means hes much better than us."

Sakura whipped around, just missing the black tuft of hair leaving. Instead of running after like she normally would have done, Sakura stayed on the academy roof and thought about what Naruto said.

Maybe it was time for a change.

TADA

just had to get the stupid "Sakura's Revelation" done and over with....

see you in the next chapter!

;p

-mayu


	2. Chapter 2

SO VERY SORRY! I WAS GOING TO UPDATE, BUT MY LAPTOP DELETED THE NEXT FOUR FUCKING CHAPTERS!!! I WAS SO ANGRY. AND IT WAS ALL SO GOOD TOO. 

HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPPY, SORRY, IT WONT BE THE BEST, BUT…HERE YA GO!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter Two

Purgatory

Sasuke and Sakura were tired. No, they were more than tired. Getting up at 5:00 to meet Kakashi was not a normal thing for them, and so, they were suitably exhausted. Sasuke was sitting, leaning back against the tree, fighting to not nod off into the welcome embrace of sleep. Sakura was sitting crossed legged and sleepily digging holes in the dirt with her fingertips.

Neither Naruto nor Kakashi had arrived as of yet, and the two were just starting to become a little bit irritated. Turning to her crush, Sakura asked, "Hey Sasuke-kun, what do you think of our new team?"

Sasuke didn't answer her outright, and Sakura had started to think he was ignoring her when he drew a breath, "I don't know. Obviously Kakashi is…strong…if he's a jounin. But this Naruto, I don't know how to think of him." Sakura was shocked; he crush was not one to speak more than two words to his fangirls, and here, a whole sentence!

"Sasuke-kun…." Here she was, her crush actually talking to her, and yet she has nothing to say.

An hour passes.

As does another, and then another on top of that.

Sakura's face was a thundercloud and Sasuke's eyebrow was twitching madly, like a caterpillar in pain, before Kakashi's shunshin's poof alerted them to his presence. What they didn't account for was their other teammate, Naruto to be sleeping in Kakashi's arms.

Held fire-man style, the blonde looked incredibly small and frail in the jounin's arms. His blonde locks falling into his face and his mouth opened in small, quiet snores. Wearing what seemed to be a big white robe, a big white robe entirely too big for the genin, Naruto looked very much like a child in the jounin's arms. Taking a closer look at his face, Sakura noticed privately how feminine and peaceful the boy looked asleep, how serene he seemed.

Kakashi had a semi-embarrassed look on his face, or whatever part of his face the two could see, and he avoided the other two's eyes.

Silence enveloped the training grounds as Sakura and Sasuke looked at Kakashi and Naruto, while the scarecrow looked away. "Sensei…why are you holding Naruto?" Sakura asked, curiosity etched across her face. Personally, she thought the scene was rather cute.

"Well…I was walking through the park and when I passed under a tree, a shoe fell on me. I was curious, so I climbed the tree and took a look…I…uh…found him sleeping in the tree and couldn't wake him so I just…carried him here." Neither of the two thought he was lying, the story being a bit too odd to be his imagination.

"Oh look, he's waking up." Kakashi's overly cheerful voice interrupted their internal debates, and they glanced over to see Naruto cutely rubbing at his eyes with a fist and yawning. The only female there twitched and held back a girly "KAWAI!!", while the ever brooding Sasuke stayed silent.

Without even opening his eyes, Naruto shot a fist out at Kakashi's face, and surprised immensely front the punch, Kakashi didn't block or evade. The jounin was forced back, dropping Naruto and skidded a bit before falling on his ass, holding both hands to his nose. Landing softly on his feet, Naruto looked at Kakashi, face still set in that calm serene expression.

Ruining it, the blonde said, "What did you do to me while I was asleep?" the question was stated with only a want to know kind of attitude. No teasing, no anger, just simple fact and curiosity.

Kakashi stared back from his seat on the ground, still holding his nose with one hand, "Nothing."

"Are you sure?" Naruto blinked his wide and expressive blue eyes.

"…yes." Kakashi stared back, not know what else to say.

Suddenly, Naruto's face broke into a wide smile, his cheeks closing his eyes and quipped, "Okaaaaay then!" Before sitting down directly where he was and fishing around in his robes, apparently searching for something.

The other three members watched him for a moment, before Sasuke broke his silence for the day, "What are you doing, Dobe?" Naruto paused and looked up to him, confused.

"Why Dobe?"

Sasuke scowled, "Because you just came to the academy on the last day and are the dead last of the class."

Naruto pursed his lips at the raven before returning to search his person while replying, "The academy is useless in the real world. It means nothing during battle."

This is where Sakura joined the conversation, "how can you say that?! The academy trains us to shinobi and teaches us everything a out it!" this is a sore spot for her, as she was the smartest in the academy. Sure, she wasn't very good at the physical department but being the highest in academics counted for the same didn't it?

"If you're trying to kill an enemy shinobi, and only used what the academy taught you, the most of what you could do is blab your mouth off at them on how many hairs were on the Shodaime's cousin's head and what the definition of chakra is. Meanwhile, he would be planning how to corner you and then proceed to gut you where you stood. AHA! There you are you tricky little bastard." Apparently he had found what he was looking for in his robes and pulled out both a bottle of Sake and three pill bottles.

Taking the cap off the bottle, he took a swig and sighed, before replacing the cap and putting it back tenderly into his robes. Naruto hummed a small song while popping off the pill bottles and grabbing two from the first, one from the second and one from the third. He paused his movements and looked up at his teammates. They were staring at him in profound curiosity.

Narrowing his eyes at them he first observed Sasuke and Sakura, then swung his head to peer at Kakashi. As Kakashi got uncomfortable, Naruto turned back and took another pill from the third canister. Closing all three and replacing them with the sake bottle, he held the handful in his hand and, to the shock of all present, tilted his head back and gulped all of them down.

Standing and facing his team, Naruto noticed that all three were confused. He tilted his head before suddenly getting an idea. Holding his arms out to the side and allowing his robe to stretch out, he looked like a blonde shinigami. A small impish smile was on his face.

Bowing low at the waist with a flourish to his robes, he cheerily called out, "TaDA!" and giggling, surprisingly girlishly, at the looks on their faces.

Blinking in confusion, Kakashi decided to just ignore it and hope it would go away. Turning to his students, he pulled out two bells and started, "Your objective for the day is to come at me and take one of these bells. If you get a bell before noon hour, you pass to be a genin. That's not so hard, now is it?" he didn't wait for their answer and walked over to the three training stumps in the clearing, setting an alarm clock on top of it and setting the correct time.

"But sensei, there are only two bells and three of us…" Sakura spoke, trailing off towards the end.

Kakashi eye-smiled wickedly, "Ah, the third without a bell gets sent back to the academy!" Sasuke and Sakura gaped at him, well….Sakura did, Sasuke's eyes widened a little and he breathed in fast but it is equivalent to the same thing. Naruto on the other hand was cross-legged beside the Uchiha and was staring at him wide-eyed and vacant.

Strange, the boy's blue eyes were so very clear, one would think they belonged to an empty mind, and yet. Kakashi felt as though he was being measured.

Clearing his throat he said, "Come at me with the intent to kill, now…Hajime!" Pink and black blurs were seen and then disappeared, and Kakashi was left in the clearing with the blonde in the white robe. They stared for a second, before Kakashi got fed up with the un-unnervingly blank gaze and said, "You're supposed to be doing something right now."

"As are you." The blonde blinked.

"You first." Kakashi felt a little bit childish as he said that, already thinking of more mature things he could have said.

"You forgot Spitz."

"Who?" Kakashi blinked before remembering, "Oh ya, that little fox you had yesterday."

"Mhmm." Naruto had a haze crossing his eyesight now, as if he were staring at something Kakashi couldn't see.

Walking closer to the boy, Kakashi frowned when he gained no response, "Naruto, are you okay?"

Naruto suddenly broke out in a smile, startling the Hatake, with his crystal eyes twinkling joyously, "I still want to kill you, now excuse me Kakashi-kun, because I really must be leaving." And, oddly with a tip of an imaginary hat, the short blonde disappeared from his spot, without even a blur or poof of smoke.

His giggles remained in the air for some time before Kakashi shook his head and brought out his reliable book, deciding to wander into the forest towards where he sensed Sakura.

Wonder how she is at Genjutsu.

--

A gathering of jounin's and chuunin teachers were at the Hokage's office, facing Sarutobi and talking to one another animatedly. They had gone through the genin teams up until 6, and then were currently waiting for Kakashi to arrive.

As always.

"I mean really, what kind of shinobi is late for everything?" Kurenai muttered angrily to her colleague, Asuma. The smoker didn't reply, smirking slightly at the irked new jounin.

Sarutobi rubbed a hand across his eyes, sighing heavily, '_Kakashi would you hurry up_.' The old man thought to himself, noticing how ill-tempered thee jounins in the room were getting. He also wanted to catch up on his Icha Icha book, and he can't every well do that with everyone there.

Finally, the door opened, and Kakashi walked in. his familiar red covered book in his hand and face buried deep into it. He was his same lazy self, slouching towards the Hokage before coming to a stop next to Kurenai. The jounin's all quieted and watched him, not too few were annoyed.

"What took you so long?" Kurenai hissed under her breath glaring at him sideways.

Kakashi eye-smiled at her, putting away his book, "I was having ramen with my cute new genin." Looking back to the Hokage and consequently Iruka he continued, "Team seven, including Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto…pass."

Gasps of shock and cries were many until Sandaime put up a hand and they fell silent.

"How were they Kakashi?" the old man said merrily, privately ecstatic.

Sighing, Kakashi put his hands in his pockets and spoke, "Well, Haruno Sakura is useless except for her chakra control and book smarts, which are mostly contributed to her very low chakra reserves and weak physical strength. She was taken down by an average genjutsu, and would not stop thinking about the Uchiha boy. Uchiha Sasuke has a firm grasp of his clan's taijutsu and some of their jutsu. His chakra reserve is surprisingly large for a genin his age. His most glaring problem would be his arrogance and his view on teammates. Thinks' they hold him down, and that he doesn't need them. And Uzumaki Naruto…well…I don't know what to say about him." Several jounin's smirked, thinking of the demon brat, obviously the fox had no skill in ninja things.

"All I could say about him would be that, he is one _fast_ little bugger." Kakashi's voice was tinged with a little tiny bit of irritation and, could it be, envy?

"What do you mean?" it was Iruka, amused by the note of jealousy in the other man's voice.

"His speed surpasses mine Hokage-sama, I can't even see him." This brought dead silence and gape-jawed shock. Sarutobi leaned back and smirked to himself.

"His speed coupled with his…unique taijutsu style makes him one devastating opponent. I was hard tracked to keep up with him, without my Sharingan. His ninjutsu and genjutsu are unknown, as he showed none during the test." Suddenly, Kakashi chuckled, bringing out his trusty book, "That messed up little boy got both bells from me." an odd note of pride entered his voice here, and the Kyuubi-haters in the room stared at him in shock.

"Alright, Team 7, 8 and 10, I expect you to be ready for active duty tomorrow. Dismissed."

--

Remembering the ramen outing after the test, Kakashi reflected on his new students.

_Flashback Start_

_Kakashi, Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto sat at Ichiraku's ramen bar, enjoying the wondrous food. Kakashi pretended to read his book, instead watching as his team ate a bowl each. Sasuke was mannered well, did not slurp or spill, he was immaculate. Sakura was only a little bit behind him, only splattering the table a few times and blushing embarrassedly afterwards. Naruto however, was strangely not mannered, but he still ate his food quickly and efficiently. There was no mess and no unnecessary noise. Though he did hold his chopstick clumsily, and he clacked the bowl on the counter loudly. Almost like he had to teach himself to eat properly._

_Kakashi's visible eye narrowed, the blonde probably did._

_Now before you wonder on how Kakashi was being slightly creepy by analyzing how his students ate, of all things, you would be surprised to note he learned some things that are very interesting. Sasuke, was obviously bred as an Uchiha, and since his family was not present to complete his growing up, he had done it all himself, thinking highly on Uchiha Mannerisms, and basing his public life around them. Sakura was, for all intent and purposes, a completely normal 12 year old girl. Had a crush, wasn't perfect, happy childhood, parents at home. Absolutely normal. Naruto, was glaringly alone since birth. His small operations, no matter how hard he tried, were just mimics of what he had probably watched people do. He had copied these little things in life from other people._

_Odd team. Very different. Very interesting. _

"_So, who came up with the plan?" His question was met with silence for a little bit, before Sakura shyly raised her hand, glancing at Sasuke for any reaction._

"_Sakura?" he was surprised, "how'd you figure the test out?"_

_Sakura blushed some more, and Kakashi privately noted to himself to change that, "W-well, I thought about the genin teams I've seen around the village. There were always three. And then the Sannin, their also of three…so I just thought that…that it was normal. I figured you were tricking us, and we couldn't bring you down on our own, except maybe Sasuke-kun of course. Naruto suddenly was next to me and I told him what I found, he uhm…picked me up and grabbed Sasuke-kun, I explained and he…uh he understood." Sakura looked down._

_Kakashi somehow felt she wasn't telling the whole truth and he looked at Sasuke for information. The raven haired boy scowled before saying, reluctantly Kakashi noted, "I didn't believe them at first, and started to leave. Naruto stopped me and explained further." At this Sasuke glared so dangerously at the table top the jounin thought it would burst into flames._

_Glancing at Naruto, he found the boy still eating, but staring at him out of the corner of his eyes, gaze unblinking and wide. Seeing that the blonde wasn't going to give him anything, he turned back to Sakura, who was looking at the ground shamefully._

_Kakashi didn't understand why the girl was shamed but didn't wonder too long, deciding to ask another question._

"_How'd you get the bells?" Sakura started again, obviously becoming the spokesperson for the team._

"_Well, I offered to provide long range support, throwing kunai to keep you in the same pot while Naruto and Sasuke-kun rushed you. Sasuke-kun kept you busy while Naruto sneaked some hits and grabbed the bells….that's….um…it." Sakura looked away from her sensei, deciding to look at the last Uchiha._

_Kakashi nodded approvingly, and noticing the two were done said, "Dismissed for the day, meet me at the training ground tomorrow same time." Sakura and Sasuke nodded, Sasuke leaving the stand. Sakura started to follow him before freezing and looking back at Naruto. The girl seemed to be having an internal debate before shaking her head at herself and chasing after the long disappeared Sasuke._

_Looking at Naruto, Kakashi was surprised to find him occupying the seat directly next to him. Odd, Kakashi hadn't felt him move._

"_What happens between the three of you when I'm not there?" he asked suspiciously ignoring the closeness of the blonde._

_Naruto did his version of Kakashi's eye smile, both eyes closed in crescents, and a small smile. (Kind of like ^.^ if you know what I mean.) _

"_Well?"_

"_Hehe, how often do you see an orange among an apple tree?" the boy said overly cheerfully and full of glee, as if he knew something the jounin did not. Then the tiny blonde displaced himself again, and Kakashi found himself staring at an empty ramen bar stool._

_Shaking his head, the jounin paid the owner and then headed towards the meeting at the Hokage's tower. _

"_Now what the hell did that mean?"_

_Flashback End_

--

The ending sucked so bad for this chapter. I'm sorry; I couldn't find any other way that stayed within, THIS chapter.

God I hate computers.

ANYWAYS sorry for not updating since last December, nearly a year ago, and for the 6 of you who reviewed, thanks for that. It helped greatly.

**Review.**

**Espcially if you have a pairing thought that would be good for this story…**

**I was thinking Kakashi, seeing as I kind of focused on his during this chap.**

**Anyways, review and tell me what you think, any ideas you got.**

**Even to say that I suck at life, it would be appreciated.**

A writer only writes if they have somebody to write for.

;p

-mayu


	3. Chapter 3

Hahaha thanks for reviewing, and I will TRY MY VERY HARDEST to get this chapter out in the next MONTH.

If I fail, you have every right to be angry ^.^

Anyways….to a question that I received and to sort something out,

**Naruto's character:**

I thought that if Naruto could hear the fox's voice like Gaara, he would be given special treatment, since Sandaime loves him and the Kazekage hates Gaara. So, the pills would make ANYBODY act a little tiny bit strange. I just….exaggerated that. Plus, I love the Naruto fics that make him talented and insane, whether he's a killer or just…mental. Thought I'd take a dive at it, see if it works out.

**Sakura's Shyness**

Yeah you're probably wondering, Isn't Sakura supposed to be confident and loud as she was in the canon? Well, no…not particularly. I can't stand it when ANY Sakura in any fic that always looks to Sasuke for protection and does nothing for her own good….well….it just rubs me the wrong way. In my fic here, she has had a revelation, because Naru doesn't really put a censor on what he says, SO she's being introduced to the shinobi world…very early…..yea just putting that out there. Plus, she didn't have Naruto to beat on as she grew up, so it was just her and Ino. And Sasuke. Can't forget Sasuke.

Shall we get started?

Indeed we shall.

Oh, ps. It's been changed to a KakashixNaruto fic ^.^ (your welcome to still ask for different, if you make a valid argument and

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

--

Purgatory

Chapter 3

--

"Argh! Why won't this cat stay STILL!!?" Sakura shouted loudly, scaring off a couple birds. In her arms was Tora, the daimyo's wife's cat, fighting vainly to free itself and run for the hills. The pink haired girl had scratches along her arms, neck and face. "I HATE THESE MISSIONS!!!!"

Sasuke stood a few feet away, stone-faced abut anyone looking close enough could see a glimmer of amusement in his obsidian eyes. Naruto wandered over to Sakura, looking for the world like an innocent child looking at a pet cat. Bending slightly, so his legs stayed straight, the blonde leveled his face with the squirming cat.

"Meeeeaaaoooowwwww." He meowed. Shockingly, the cat stopped struggling and hissed at him. Spitting and snarling.

"Meow, hisss, Merow, prrrr." Naruto was holding conversation.

"Sppppfffth, meaowww, hiss." With a cat.

"Mew, meow, prrr, meow?" the blonde asked a question, tilting his head. It didn't seem right that he did not have feline ears, because if he did, they'd be perked up and twitching.

Tora sulked, "Merow."

Naruto double-eye smiled, reaching a hand and taking the cat away from the frozen pinkette.

"Maa, Maa, let's get back to the Hokage's office." Kakashi stated, outwardly cheery and ignoring the fact the blonde had just talked to a cat. To himself, he thought, '_He should not be able to do that…maybe….kyuubi….hmm.'_ Naruto noticed Kakashi's eye narrow in suspicion and smiled benignly, holding the cat in his arms and petting him into submission.

'**Tsk Tsk, Naruto-kun. Now Silver is suspicious.'**

'_That's ok Father kitsune.'_

'**Heh Heh, indeed my son. Now, how about tonight you go hunting for your poor Father, he's been getting hungry lately.' **Kyuubi's voice in his head was coaxing and smooth.

The blonde hummed a song on the outside, effectively annoying his teammates.

'**Are you hungry too son? Yes, yes you are. Be a good boy and hunt tonight. Also remember dear little fox, don't tell anyone else about our relationship '**

'_Shhhhh'_ Naruto thought, an odd smile on his face.

'**heh heh don't blow our cover, otherwise I might have to leave and never come back. You don't want that now do you Naruto-kun?'**

'_Daddy don't leave!''_

A kind of warm sheen enveloped the blonde and Naruto knew that was his Father Kitsune's approval. Naruto tuned into reality again and found Sasuke staring at him, a scowl implanted on his pale face.

"Sasuke-chan?" he said, confused afterwards by the Uchiha's darkened face.

"Naruto! What have I said about calling Sasuke, chan!!" Sakura screeched.

"Sakura-kun? What do you mean?"

"It's…its just…not….right?" Sakura couldn't find words to explain to the small blonde.

"Let's get to the mission office alright?" Kakashi sighed, rubbing the side of his face.

"Kakashi-kun!" Naruto chirped, spinning on his heel, causing his robe to float out and slip off one shoulder. He pranced off with Tora in his arms, disappearing into the forest towards Konoha.

Behind him, his team sighed and followed after the flitting blonde. After a month of working with the blonde, you eventually have to learn how to understand the blonde's form of thought, which was, quite simply, nothing at all. The boy didn't follow any form of recognizable, structured thoughts. His mind constantly moves from one thing to the other, from different ends of the spectrum. To Kakashi, he was a pain in the ass to teach. To his fellow teammates, he was a pain in the ass to stay mad at.

"Let's just get to the mission office." Kakashi sighed.

--

When the rest of Team Seven entered the Hokage's mission office, there were two things they noticed immediately. One was that there was a tall, white haired man wearing green and red clothes with two red streaks running down his face sitting across from the Hokage, drinking sake and scribbling in a small notebook. The other thing they noticed was their odd teammate, Naruto, sitting on said man's _shoulder_ as if it was a solid chair playing with Tora.

The blonde looked up when they entered, broke into a grin and hopped off his perch. Out of absolutely no-where, he tackled-hugged Kakashi, then Sakura, and finally Sasuke, ending with a loud smacking kiss of the Uchiha's left cheek.

People gaped as the blonde stepped back from the wide-eyed raven, but slowly got their composure when the blonde stood happily across from Sandaime and waited for somebody to speak.

"Team Seven here to report mission accomplished, target Tora acquired." Kakashi drawled in his usual lazy tone, opening his book and slouching. Sasuke copied him, though without the smut book and Sakura stood at attention, the only ninja in the room to do so.

"ok then Team seven, congratulations, now we have just a couple left but there's farming Scott's potatoes, babysitting the Taka triplets or picking up-" "NO!" Shockingly, Sakura opened her big mouth and screamed to stop the Hokage.

"No more of these baby missions! What use are we as ninjas if we don't even fight other ninja!?" Sakura seemed shocked at herself for the unusual outburst but forced herself to go on, slowly becoming less passionate and finishing in a sort of half-question, "I mean, we have to grow up and become ninja some time…you know?" Looking at Iruka and Sarutobi, Sakura seemed to shrink and then noticed her team was also staring at her.

Sasuke's was emotionless but his eyes flickered, Kakashi was watching her in his peripherals, and Naruto….smiled at her softly, and the pinkette was suddenly sure in her outburst, confident in her decision. She straightened and looked at Sandaime. Noticing her team following her example, she crowed internally to herself, ecstatic she did something worth while. (Wow I'm harsh XD.)

Iruka looked very much like he was going to explode, but before he could do that, Sandaime's laughter sounded. Deep and oddly wise-sounding chuckles reverberating through his chest and into the room.

"Yes, I do believe it's your turn isn't it?" with an amused smile, the old man turned to his yellow wrapped scrolls and picked one out of the pile, "Escort mission to the country of Wave, you can come in now!" Sandaime called out the door, and in came a smelly, rumpled old man in a straw hat and holding a sake bottle.

"Tazuna-san, this is the team that is going to protect you on your trip."

Tazuna looked them over and then snorted, grimacing, "These children? The pinky looks weak, the blonde is too short, and ….is that a girl or a boy?" Sakura and Sasuke twitched, refraining from bursting out angrily, and Naruto blinked one slow, leisurely blink. Jiraiya, the white haired man forgotten in the chair burst out laughing, thumping his knee and ignoring the death glares sent to him by two thirds of team seven.

"Alright team, meet at the north gate in twenty…" Kakashi drawled poofing out of existence. Sasuke and Sakura moved towards the door but paused when they noticed Naruto not following. They turned to find him standing beside Jiraiya and listening to the man talk under his breath, Nodding every once in a while.

"Ok, here, don't forget, when you wake up and when you go to sleep. Take care of yourself brat; we'd die if you got hurt." Jiraiya told the blonde seriously, handing him a rather large pill case. Naruto gave a small smile, coupled with his wide, non-blinking eyes before giggling and hugging the white haired sennin around his neck. Jiraiya was embarrassed and tried to remove the 12 year old, "Hey! Get off you brat! You're ruining my rep!"

Naruto giggled girlishly again and danced back, before saluting both Jiraiya and the third and then disappearing in his signature flicker. Sasuke and Sakura exchanged glances before leaving for their respective homes, the latter shaking her head.

--

Waiting at the gate, Sakura, Sasuke and Tazuna were bored, and maybe just a little bit irritated. Naruto and Kakashi, always late….always. Now normally, they couldn't blame Naruto, for whatever reason…maybe it was just his blank, cheerful, quiet stare. But Kakashi….oh ho ho…..

'POOF'

"YOU'RE LATE!!" Sakura screeched, and several birds fell down dead.

"Maa, Maa, calm down Sakura-chan…where's Naruto?" Sakura growled at the man, crossing her arms and glowering at the ground.

"Not here." Sasuke answered, hands in pockets and looking disdainfully at the jounin. Kakashi looked out to the street, still holding his forgotten book, "Hmm." The team and Tazuna watched for here Naruto would come out of the crowd, each with their on thoughts.

'_Gah, what is wrong with my team! Everybody's so strange; I'm like…the only normal one! Well…Sasuke-kun does have his reasons…but What about the others…I mean like…really."_ Sakura pursed her lips and glanced at the Uchiha boy, unnoticed to her a small blush escaping her cheeks.

'_There's something different about that Dobe…something…familiar. His eyes are unnerving though, those big soulful blue eyes…I feel like I'm drowning. What is he doing to me? That smile of his…'_ Sasuke's outward face was calm and unemotional, warring with his inner thoughts.

'_That boy…I wonder what happened to him hen he as with Jiraiya, he's just so different now then he was as a little boy. When he was tiny and out of sight, I could forget what I've done to him, what the village has done. Now…I can't help but regret every single past year of his life…I feel like it's my fault…" _Kakashi outwardly stared at the same spot in the crowd, not even noticing the people go by.

"Minna-san…what are you looking at?" Everyone spun around at the voice behind them, there stood Naruto, his head cocked to the side, wearing his big white robe which looked to be falling off his shoulders. They didn't say anything and the blonde smiled a small smile, eye mysterious. He leaned to the side to see past them and stated, "I don't see aaanyyyonneee..." he singed, rolling back onto his heels and then his toes.

Tazuna shivered as he stared into the blue eyes of the small boy, they were so….odd…there was no other way to explain it.

"Naruto! When did you get here?!" Sakura exclaimed.

He only smiled at her, before gesturing serenely and starting to walk away from the village. Kakashi didn't give it a second thought; he started to walk and soon found himself beside the boy. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, the Hatake watched the joyous smile spread across Naruto's face when they heard the others running to catch up.

'_It is my fault, and I'm going to change it.'_

The walk was quiet for maybe half an hour before the pink haired Kunoichi among them got bored and decided to speak. "Naruto-kun? Where's Spitz?" Naruto blinked and looked at her before giggling and said, "Oh he is here, you just can't see him."

Sakura got confused, "How does that work? He's just a fox." Naruto only moved next to her and linked arms, smiling. Sakura sighed and shook her head, already knowing she wasn't going to get an answer. Sasuke, who was behind walking next to Tazuna, snorted at them and glared at the ground. In truth, he felt a little bit depressed knowing he wasn't ever going to have that sort of bond with Naruto, or even Sakura. His code as Uchiha forbidden it, and he had grown up to believe it was the only thing he could do to become stronger and complete his goal.

But did it have to hurt so much.

An hour passed before ahead of them, a small puddle was seen in the center of the road. The team skirted it, giving it no second glance. Just as Kakashi passed by, to nins burst out of it, their battle chain falling around the surprised jounin and ripping him to shreds. Even as the pieces of the man fell, the two nins sped at the team, circling Naruto in under three seconds and ready to pull.

What they missed was Naruto's small, serene smile turn savage, a cold, malicious glint in his eye.

'**Show them who you are youngling, make me proud.'**

Suddenly, the chain snapped, seemingly out of nowhere. Naruto whirled around; grabbing one Demon brother's head and kicking himself off the ground to lightly land perched on the brother's shoulder. Quick as a flash, Naruto grinned maliciously, something that looked really out of place on the boy's angelic personage, and wrenched the man's head 180 degrees with a loud CRACK.

Cackling, Naruto flickered away to stand right beside the other brother, who was frozen staring at this fallen brother, well, the back of his head. Sakura screamed, dropping the kunai she was holding. Sasuke paled but held steady

"OH deary me, did I startle you? Quite sorry, just business." Naruto bantered nonchalantly, patting the brother's shoulder with an affectionate hand. Growling, the man tried to hit the boy, but coming to a stop when he found that he had no claw. No hand in fact. Staring at his bloody stump, he barely let out a tortured scream before it was cut off by a knife being slid into his ribcage. Blood bubbled out of his mouth, his eyes locked onto the blue ones of the boy.

Pulling the kunai out of the man with a spurt of blood, Naruto flicked his hand out and caused a red line across the brother's neck. Blood poured from the neck slice, the man still stared into Naruto's blue eyes, seemingly unfeeling of the fatal wound.

Just before darkness clouded his vision, Gozu saw those crystal blue eyes flash red, and felt utter despair in his heart, even as the kunai stabbed into his left eye, straight into his brain.

Naruto hummed, taking out his kunai with a _slick_, whipping the blood off with his fingertip. The short blonde gave a giggle before flipping the kunai over in his hand, gently putting it away inside his robe and patting the outside fondly. Turing to his team he gave another innocent, angelic smile, the complete opposite of the bloodlust filled on he had while destroying the nins.

Kakashi walked out of the forest, eye locked onto Naruto's face, wide and disbelieving, a disbelief shared in his other two students and their clients' eyes. Naruto didn't say anything, choosing to simply stare at Kakashi, his grin dimming and replaced with an odd sort of sad look. There were emotions in those swirling blue eyes the Hatake couldn't even name.

Kakashi had never wanted to read minds as much as he did now.

"N-Naruto….what…" Sakura couldn't speak, her eyes widened impossibly, and staring at the blonde boy, then at the bodies behind him. The girl was shaking, obviously terrified of her teammate, and also terrified and sickened by the two bodies. Sasuke was a little better, the bodies didn't shock him, it was more the supposedly innocent blonde boy's ability to kill so easily, so gracefully.

"..I'm…sorry…?" Naruto said quietly, head bowed but still looking into Saukra's eyes. His hands were wringing, and he was biting his lip.

'_What if she hates me now? I don't want her to hate me! Not her not him, no…DADDY!?'_ Naruto was panicking, starting to shake, his eyes wide and tearing. He was only doing the right thing; killing enemies…that's the right thing isn't it? Why did Sakura-kun hate him now?! He did something good, SOMETHING GOOD!

'**Shhh my son, calm down. You did well. Pink does not matter, Black does not matter, and Silver does not matter.'**

'_But daddy, they're…good. Friends. They are supposed to matter….matter to me?'_

'**No! They do not matter! Only I matter to you, understood?! Only I have been there for you! I am disappointed Naruto.'**

Naruto held his head, tears already slipping down his face. He squatted, and put his head on his knees, "No…no…I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

The boy was shocked when he felt arms around him, and hands lift his head. He blinked open his eyes to see Sakura holding him, tears in her eyes and a shaky smile on her face, Kakashi had a hand to the side of his head, rubbing small circles with his thumb.

"It's OK Naruto-kun, its ok." Sakura said, and even though her voice was a little shaky, it impacted the boy harshly. Sasuke, behind Kakashi had his arms crossed, and with the other two's backs turned, offered a tiny, almost invisible smile for the blond. Kakashi eye-smiled, still holding the side of his face, and Naruto was suddenly hit with a rare-felt feeling. A smile broke out, and he couldn't even hear Father Kitsune speak to him.

"Now, Tazuna-san…please…clue me in." Kakashi glared at the man, causing the civilian to take a step back and start to sweat.

"I…I don't know what you mean.." Tazuna tried to laugh, his eyes darting from Kakashi, to Naruto, to the dead bodies and back to Kakashi. "Now." Kakashi was quiet, his word like a hammer nailing the man's coffin.

"It started with Gatou…."

--

"That is a big bridge." Sakura's quiet statement was muffled in the fog, before them, rising out of the water stood the immense bridge, but the shore was still a good ways off. The boat was crowded with all of them on there. Naruto sat at the back with Kakashi, the rower in the center with Tazuna, Sasuke and Sakura at the front.

"My life's work and pride," Tazuna stated, "Though Gatou thinks it's a threat, so he's been giving us grief about finishing it." Sakura 'mmed', too interested in not worrying to put up a good conversation.

'_How could Naruto have done that?! It's…Naruto for god's sake. He's supposed to be a happy, maybe a bit odd short blonde! He's a shinobi! Not a killer…'_

'**Who the fuck do you think you are.'**

Inner Sakura told her in a dead serious, appalled, disgusted way that the real Sakura had never heard before. It was then that her last though caught up to her, '_He's a shinobi, not a killer…'_

A hand covered her mouth as she teared up. At that moment he felt so disgusted with herself she wanted to puke. Faced with evidence of her immaturity and childishness, the pinkette had nothing to say for herself. Because of her quest for Sasuke, she had completely ignored the deeper meaning of her life choice career, ignored her parent's rants, Iruka's lectures. Even Naruto's words the last month.

'_Aren't you a Kunoichi?'_

That's what he had said to her those weeks before. She was a Kunoichi, she had to be. This was watch she chose, and goddamit all this is what she would do. Clenching her fist, Sakura felt a small part of her awaken, determination flooded her and her smart mind already started to conjure up training schedules.

A splash in the back of the boat distracted her, looking back she saw Naruto, arms over the edges frantically scrubbing his hands in the water. She watched as her sensei grabbed the boy's arms before he could do any harm and started to whisper in his ear. Looking at the blonde's frightened face, she felt she wanted to help this poor strange boy, smiling to herself, she turned back and left the blonde to Kakashi. She would be the boys' friend.

With Kakashi, he had watched the boy seem bored for a bit before he noticed a small red splotch on his fingernails. Realizing the blood was not his, the blonde had freaked and almost jumped over the side to wash it off. Grabbing the blonde's shoulders before he hurt himself, Kakashi quickly pulled the smaller body towards him, he whispered in his ear.

"Calm down, there's nothing wrong. Look, its all gone, calm down, it's ok, shh." Kakashi was overwhelmed by the wide eyes lost look the boy sent him, magnified by his expressive blue eyes.

'_Jeez, it's like looking into a hurricane.'_

He continued to comfort the boy, and eye smiled when the tension bled out from the blonde, and the boy slumped against the jounin's side. Deciding not to make an issue, the man turned forwards and waited for the boat to come to a stop before he nudged Naruto and got out. It was odd how the boy could go from a frantic, frightened child to the calm serene genin before him.

His mood swings were starting to give the jounin a headache.

**--**

"How far is it to your house Tazuna-san?" Sakura asked, her voice muffed by an unnatural fog. Tazuna answered, also quieter as he felt unrest in both the ninjas and the surroundings, "Maybe about two hours….not too long I hope."

Kakashi didn't listen to his female student ask questions, he was too occupied with observing the environment, something didn't feel _right,_ and also keeping an eye on his blonde student. Naruto was hunched over, expression screwed up in pain. He would shake his head every once in a while, and his mouth moved as if speaking.

What the Hatake didn't know, was that Naruto was indeed speaking, speaking to the evil fox that lived in his brain.

'**Boy, who do you think you are? Going about this body as if its, **_**yours**_**....' **

'_It is mine! You've just stolen it!'_

'**You disgust me! Walking around with your food, it's disgraceful! You contempt me you weak, pathetic excuse for a demon'**

'_Stop it! I'm not a demon! It's mine! Mine, mine, mine!'_

**I should just kill you and take over your body, and kill all of those so called special people you have. Rip those eyes out of that Uchiha; wrench that Hatake dog's neck. Gut your 'father' figure Jiraiya. And that big breasted woman, who do you think of her? Your mother? HA! your mother was a slut and a whore, not fit to…'**

"SHUT UP!" Naruto screamed clutching at his head, even as his team turned to question him, Kakashi picked up a large, whistling, deadly incoming projectile.

"DOWN!" he screamed, grabbing the little crying blonde boy and dove to the ground, shielding the blonde with his own body. Sasuke had grabbed Tazuna and pulled him out of the way, Sakura ducked low, falling to her knees. The large, deadly incoming projectile was in fact a very large, very thick and also very heavy sword. The mist cleared around the tree the word had stuck into, cutting half way into the large trunk. Out of the fog stepped a large man, his bare chest packed with muscles, and bandages covering his face. On the side of his head, the ninjas could barely make out a scratched mist headband.

"Momochi Zabuza, Demon of the Mist." Kakashi as on his feet, pushing his genin's back towards their client, a hand lifted to his headband.

"Ahahaha, Copy nin Kakashi, man of a thousand jutsu. Seems my reputation precedes me." The man grinned, noticeable through his bandages, and let loose a low blast of killing intent. Sakura dropped to her knees already, Sasuke just froze up, and Naruto….well Naruto was watching the man, an odd look of awe in his face.

'**That is one hell of a man.'**

"_Mmmhmm'_

He and his tenant agreed. Instead of speaking, they decided to just back up beside Tazuna, and witness the jounin battle bound to take place. Kakashi glared at the man, speaking low behind him to his team, "Menji formation around the client. Leave this one to me."

"Hai!" they said….Sakura a bit pitifully, but she did get off her knees and stand with a kunai in her hands.

Zabuza disappeared along with his sword, reappearing near the small lake to their right. Kakashi disappeared as well, reappearing a little ways in front of the Momochi, two kunai's held backwards in both hands. He sliced both ways across the man's mid-section, seemingly killing him. At least till the Zabuza exploded in water and the real one flickered in front of the three genin and client, sword held high and ready to swing down.

He didn't get far, as another kunai bit into his neck, held by one Hatake. Kakashi's eyes narrowed when water leaked form the cut instead of blood. Sakura screamed when a sword ripped Kakashi into two pieces.

Of course it wasn't Kakashi, just water. Again.

The two of them did this for quite a while, at least until Zabuza appeared next to the lake, a grin noticeable behind his bandages. "Well Cop-nin…I know that you can use Mizu Bunshin. How about something a bit more advanced?" and began an incredibly long line of seals, Kakashi, who was across from him started a second behind him. That second would make a difference.

Zabuza's water dragon was already headed towards the five when Kakashi's was created, and they both collided when Kakashi's dragon had raised its head. This served a purpose however, as it blocked the worst of the force behind Zabuza's dragon, but it also drenched the area in a foot of water. Zabuza cackled, standing atop the water. This action of course brought a gasp form Sakura, and was inwardly noted by the two boys. Well one, Naruto was still a little bit busy staring in glee at Zabuza's hot bod. (XD)

'**Pop quiz! Which is a better mate, Silver, or the enemy?'** kyuubi suddenly popped out with.

'_Oh I don't know, there's just so much to the both of them!_' Naruto wasn't even paying attention to the jounin's speaking to each other

'**You can only have one! Oh look, Silver's vest was just ripped off.'**

'_Well, Zabuza is very mysterious, big strong man…but from the smell in the trees, he already has a younger, pretty child to play with. My conclusion is that Kashi is more available for me to ravish!'_ Naruto nodded to himself, proud of his accomplishment.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura screamed, and Naruto was brought back to the surface. Kakashi was floating in some sort of big water ball on the lake; Zabuza had an arm stuck into it. Naruto rolled his eyes exaggeratedly, sighing and taking a calm couple of steps forward, intent on having to save his sensei. Sasuke grabbed his arm, hissing. "What do you think you're doing?! He's a jounin!" Naruto looked at him with his large eyes. Then sniffed haughtily and pulled his robe out from the others grasp.

He walked calm to the edge of the water, and then just as calmly stepped out onto the water, focusing his chakra to his feet. Zabuza watched him come with an amused grin, "Well well, a piggy with a little talent." Naruto beamed at him.

Clearing his throat, Naruto pointed a finger straight at Zabuza, "You…." They waited for something spiritual, soulful, impacting, "…Are very attractive." Sweatdrop.

Inside his prison, Kakashi sighed, ignoring the little clench he didn't understand in his guts. "Naruto" he muttered in misery, eyeing the shocked demon of the mist beside him. Zabuza didn't say anything for a long time, giving Naruto the opportunity to ready his plan and decide what he was going to do. Once the mist nin blinked, he started to giggle. Then laugh. The outright holler his amusement at the heavens, wiping away the tears brought on by the laughter attack.

"That was good kid, hahahahaha" he said, still chuckling a little bit. Naruto's smile changed. Changed into something a bit more sinister, and his head tilted down like a predator looking at its prey. His blue eyes seemed to glow out form under the shadow of his blonde locks, and his small form seemed a bit more imposing to the others than he originally looked.

Zabuza abruptly stopped laughing, and created a half seal, creating five mizu bunshins that rose from the lake like creatures from hell. Two went forward towards the boy, trying to use their hot bodies as intimidation things.

Naruto smirked and flickered, the water around him shifting with his movement. Kakashi felt more that heard Zabuza stiffen beside him, and felt a small flicker of uncharacteristic, sadistic glee flash through him, '_make him bleed Naruto.'_

In less than four seconds, and small flashes of blonde hair, Zabuza's clones all stiffened and froze with an expression of pain before falling into water. Naruto then appeared, standing a whole lot closer than he had been before, still smiling that creepy ass smile of his.

"Zabu-kun, let go of Kashi-kun or else no dinner tonight" the blonde playfully said, despite the malicious glint flashing in his blue eyes. Zabuza grimaced and took a step back unwillingly. Not even a mist demon can withstand that stare.

"Zabu-kun…" It was a warning, so clear in the blonde voice. It had dropped several octaves and caused shivers to go through Zabuza's and Kakashi's spines. Swallowing Zabuza tried to get himself under control again, shaking his head from the blonde terrifying presence. "Heh, as if a squirt like you can do anything." He boasted, smirking unsurely. Kakashi, from within his prison already could tell that it was over.

Naruto smiled, close-mouthed. And then Zabuza released the water prison, Kakashi could barely see the man's body moving unnaturally, as if nothing had moved it. Kakashi was still shocked at the blondes speed, he didn't even see a blur of yellow like he remembered from the Yondaime, it was just….invisible. Just so fast. Kakashi wondered how the blonde's tiny body could withstand such movement.

Suddenly, Zabuza was sent flying, and Naruto appeared frozen with his leg out in a kick. Zabuza fought to his feet, coughing out blood, a sign that his insides were torn. "Wha?" he managed before Naruto was already within his guard, an elbow in his face and a knee in his gut, sending him away with the blonde right after him. Somehow during the beating, the man got out a kunai and was in the motion of cutting open the blonde's neck. It stopped when it grated on the iron plate on the back of Kakashi's hand.

The Hatake had been watching the blonde, waiting for his opportunity to take the fight back and took it the minute he saw it, appearing behind the blonde boy, shielding him from the knife. "Thank you Naru, I'll take it from here." He said happily, as if they weren't in a life or death struggle. Naruto relaxed and stood staring up at the jounin. Within two seconds, the boy had raised himself on hi tip toes, kissed the bottom of Kakashi's jaw and then disappeared back to his place in the menji formation, over 50 feet away.

"Who was that kid?!" Zabuza coughed out, blood dribbling down his chin. Kakashi stared at him for a second, aware that the other man's arm was shaking with the pressure of pressing the kunai against his grip. "Uzumaki Naruto." Zabuza nodded before jumping back and putting his hands together for one final jutsu. Kakashi did the same, at least until needles flew out of the forest canopy and stuck into his opponents neck, making his fall slack into the water.

A masked oinin jumped down and crouched next to the 'body'. "Thank you, I have been tracking him for a while now. Excuse me." the hunter ninja spoke quickly and politely, voice much younger than the man anticipated. Before Kakashi could say anything, the nin hoisted Zabuza's body onto his shoulder and then jumped away, leaving nothing behind.

Kakashi thanked his lucky stars. He couldn't stand for another minute. Swaying dangerously from side to side, Kakashi nearly collapsed in the water, if not for Naruto's sudden existence under his arm, then her would have. Looking down on the now beaming happily boy, Kakashi allowed himself a laugh, and barely made his way stumbling to solid ground with Naruto's help.

Both of his other students were there along with the client. Sasuke was glaring furiously at Naruto, Kakashi would have to do something about that, and Sakura was staring at both the blonde boy and him worriedly, hands clasped together. Tazuna was just ecstatic he was alive, and so broke out another sake bottle…dirty, drunk old men. Looking under his arm at the small blonde, Kakashi winked once, before passing out cold, trusting his team to get him back. Chakra exhaustion…he was getting old.


	4. Chapter 4

Haha did you like the last chapter??? ^.^ I did. (not really, but well…whatever.)

Anyways, here's another one, I apologize for how long it takes. But I'm doing Nanowrimo this year, and I'm focusing on that. :D

If it's not November, then I have no excuse .

Anyways here you go,

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

--

Purgatory!

Chapter FOUR!!

--

"_Kashi-kun, wake up."_

_Kakashi groaned, not willing to confront the beautiful voice next his ear. He was warm, he was comfortable, and he was so incredibly happy. The body next to his was light, and just felt so perfect in his arms. The smell of sunshine and rain fogged his nose, especially with his face nestled in soft locks. _

_The gorgeous voice laughed, warm and rich, and Kakashi felt himself smile, the expression easier without the damnable mask in the way. Opening his eyes, Kakashi smiled wider at the blonde blue eyed boy next to him, and felt a happy heat flare up in his heart. He was so happy to just lye here in bed with his lover, nobody could disturb his happiness, no one could stop this love he was feeling for the gorgeous small blonde boy beside him. _

_No one. _

Except for Sakura's voice crying out, "Sensei! Are you awake?!"

He found that he was smiling foolishly, although nobody could tell, thank god for his mask. Groggily, Kakashi groaned, holding a hand to his aching head, trying to ignore the pink haired banshees incessant yelling. Blinking his eyes open, he saw Sakura hovering over his pillow, Sasuke leaning against the far wall, and Naruto sitting cross-legged at the end of his bed, head cocked to the side in curiosity. Kakashi felt himself still at the remembrance of the dream, and inwardly shoved it into the farthest corner of his mind.

'_If I don't acknowledge its there it will go away. IT WILL!' _As was his new favorite thought, he damn well thought it often enough.

"Zabuza's alive." He said, not even bothering to say hi. Sakura's gasp and Sasuke's inhalation of breathe were the only things he could tell that they had heard. Not hearing Naruto, Kakashi glanced up and met the boy's eyes. For a moment, the jounin forgot what he was supposed to say. BUT thanks to his super intelligent mind, he used this to his advantage.

His silence forced the genin to ask questions and use their own minds to tell what to do. Sasuke surprisingly took the initiative. He pushed off the wall and came to lean on his hands at the foot of the bed, to the left of Naruto, "The needles, hit him in the neck….there's pressure points there that can make people appear dead."

The jounin nodded once, "He'll be out for a day and will recover fully within a week. We need to be ready when he comes for us then." The genin nodded, Sakura and Sasuke picking up the small hint to leave. They walked out, leaving the blonde boy at the edge of the bed and the jounin alone.

It was silent, Naruto seemed to be staring into the distance again and Kakashi didn't really feel like striking up a conversation. Naruto tilted his head, no smile, no strange haze in his eyes, just staring at Kakashi, he may have been a little confused as well.

"Why do you wear a mask?" Naruto slowly smiled, softening his features, "You have a very pretty face." Kakashi started.

"Did you.." Naruto nodded, "yes I did, but not with Sasu-chan or Kura-kun around. I was curious." Naruto sounded…normal, just like any other child. Kakashi stared wide-eyed, how had he not noticed the boy slip his mask down? Even when knocked out, he was known for bolting awake whenever somebody came within two feet of him. "Just," Kakashi felt at a loss, lying in bed staring at the small boy, "Don't do it again."

Naruto tilted his head again, and Kakashi imagined the fox ears and swaying tail again. Sighing, Kakashi let hi head fall back, exhausted.

Feeling movement on the bad, he opened his eyes and stared into Naruto's blue ones, hovering a few inches away from his face. Glaring, Kakashi grunted wordlessly. Naruto just smiled and winked saucily. Swooping, he had kissed the jounin's nose and disappeared out the door, Kakashi's shout, "GODDAMIT NARUTO!" after him.

--

Kakashi was still a little sour about the incident when he was outside on crutches facing his three students. "Today, we're learning how to climb trees," Sakura opened her mouth, "WITHOUT, hands." The jounin raised his voice over her, glaring evilly into her eyes. Sakura seemed to shrink and closed her mouth, blushing.

"Use your chakra to stick to the tree trunk," he hobbled over to one of the trees," and using his crutches as levers, stuck his feet onto the truck and walked up a bit, not going to far, feeling the strain on his system. Dropping down, he glared again, trying to ignore Naruto's wide eyed smile, "Now, get to it. I'm in a bad mod, so I'll be sitting over there with my book. Don't bother me." with a final glare he hobbled over and nearly fell onto the ground, opening his book and looking for the entire world like a sulking child.

Blinking, the team exchanged glances before going to their task.

Sasuke got maybe a couple steps before falling back. Sakura got a bit farther, dropping down, panting on her first try. Naruto however leaned over and touched the tree, looked at his feet, looked at the other two and then proceeded to put on foot on the trunk. Staring intently, he waited for a second before leaving the ground, adhering his other foot ahead of the other. Taking slow, deliberate steps, he paused to set the chakra level before moving onto the next one. Getting to the first branch he sat down and smiled down to his teammates.

Sakura was biting her lip and examining him and his ascent. Sasuke was just scowling, and set again to his task, running at the tree. And so the team went for a few hours Sakura got farther and farther up, taking breaks to get her breath back. Sasuke didn't stop and improved little, although he did concede and ask for help from Naruto.

"Don't force it, take it slow, with time the tree will get used to it and then you can go full tilt." Sasuke's eyebrow twitched at the loaded sentence, and Sakura blushed in the background, giggling.

Naruto soon mastered it (although I must say, he is quite the performer. He was taught this with Jiraiya), with his massive reserves; he managed to be able to hold on for indefinite amounts of time. When he got bored, the blonde sneaked over to where Kakashi looked like he was reading his book, but had in fact dozed off a while ago. He gently reached out and carefully tried to pry the man's book from his slack fingers. He nearly succeeded until Kakashi woke up and snatched his book to his chest, using both arms to hug it to himself. Kakashi glared through narrowed eyes at the giggling blonde, "Mine."

Naruto broke out laughing, causing Sakura, who had been watched to laugh also. Sasuke gave a few chuckles and smirked widely, close to a grin. Kakashi grumbled and climbed to his feet, hobbling out of the clearing saying something about, "Young brats of a team."

Back with the team, they had finished laughing and now were wondering what to do. Sakura finally broke the slightly uncomfortable silence, "How about we head back? It's getting close to dinner time." Sasuke nodded and started doff, Sakura a few paces next to him. Naruto ran and caught up, coming up between the two, half a head shorter than the both of them. Smiling, Naruto took both their hands, ignoring Sasuke's surprised look and Sakura's small blush.

'**Ahh, Naruto-kun, when will you learn?'** Father Kitsune said, amusedly.

'_?'_

'**They will end up betraying you, and then you will have to apologize to your father won't you?'**

'_Mayyybe. They're not so bad.'_

'**Right' Kyuubi scoffed, 'and I suppose you call them your…**_**friends**_**' **the fox sneered the word, tapping his claws on the watery floor of his sewer.

'_Hee…hehehe.'_ Was his only answer.

Kyuubi sighed within his confinement, '_**Jeez, I'd be lying if I said that boy was normal. Though, I guess, like demon like container.'**_ Then the fox chuckled, and retreated into his darkness, planning on having a nice long sleep about chasing rabbits and having hot steamy bestial sex with vixens.

Naruto ignored the images running around his mind, knowing that his father Kitsune was just entertaining himself. Although that one was quite provocative, involving a rabbit, two sunflowers and a hot tub full of blood.

--

"Dinners ready." Tsunami cheered, setting the platefuls of salmon and potatoes on the table. It was meager, but it was well-cooked considering the budget. Everybody ate silently for a while, the young boy, Inari glaring hatefully at the ninja as he ate. Eventually, the boy could take it now more and he stood up slamming his small fists on the table.

"How can you be like that? Act as if everything's ok that you're going to win? Everybody who's fought against Gatou has turned up dead! What makes you so special!?" the boy had tears in his eyes, the ninja all stopped eating, looking at him with sadness and pity (Sakura), disinterest (Sasuke and Kakashi), and curiosity (Naruto). Inari seemed to notice the looks, and turned on Naruto, yelling into the blonde face.

"You know nothing of what Gatou does to us! You're always so happy and I bet you get to go back to you stupid village, say hello to your parents and get paid just for watching my grandpa! You don't know how hard life can be!" he started to pant; tears still welled in his yes. Sakura seemed downcast, Sasuke was a bit annoyed, glaring a the kid, Kakashi was also disinterred, choosing to stare at the table top and wish it would go away (he's been doing that a lot lately) and Naruto. Naruto was looking at the boy with a kind but sad smile on his face, his eyes for once not dazed or odd-looking.

"You are like me." Naruto said, startling everyone, "so hopeless, so sad, and not able to do anything. But you have them," he indicated Tazuna and tsunami, "why do you wish for more? You had something once, and you lost it. Nothing you can do about it, Gatou doesn't care. Your grandpa is trying to save you, but you're discouraging him by saying what you say." Naruto giggled suddenly. Girlishly, he flipped a hand and said in a high-pitched, typically valley girl way, "Like, why do you like, cry so much? It's so like, stooopid." He giggled again, and in the silence cleared his plate and left out the door, closing it softly behind him.

Everybody was quite, Inari sobbed and spun, rushing up the stairs. Tsunami didn't make a move to go after the boy, staring instead a tte door the blonde had just exited, a confused and slightly interested look on her face. Sakura was curious as well, "Sensei? Why did Naruto say he was like Inari?"

Kakashi stared at the pink haired girl with sad eyes, full well knowing Sasuke and the rest of the family was listening, "Before he left with Jiraiya, seven maybe eight years ago, he was beaten daily, spit on, cursed upon, hated by every adult and child who lived in the leaf village."

"Why was he so hated?" Sakura asked, tears in her eyes. Kakashi heaved a sigh and stood, answering her even as he limped out the door.

"Only Naruto can tell you that Sakura."

--

Naruto was dancing around a clearing in the forest, silently, like a ghost going through his taijutsu's katas and stances. It was like water, fast, silent, flowing from one to the other. His face was serene, relaxed, and happy. Kakashi watched him from the shadows, silent, taking in the blonde features, and trying oh so very hard to ignore what his heart was telling him. When Naruto was finished, he sat down and took out his pills, going through his routine, swallowing them as he looked up at the moon.

"Why do you need to have those?" Kakashi asked, walking into the silver light, highlighting his hair.

Naruto answered distractedly, still looking up in reverence to the moon, "Mostly they settle Kyuu-chan's demonic chakra, and they partially help to calm his bloodlust."

"Mostly? Partially?"

Then Naruto looked to him, sadness etched into his deep blue eyes, "Kyuubi's not the only insane one in this body Kakashi-sensei-kun."

Kakashi was silent for a time, before walking over and sitting next to the blonde fox, "What happens, when you don't take them?"

Naruto looked down, "Once, when I was with Ero-sensei," Kakashi smiled at the nickname, "I forgot one morning. Later that day, a band of rogue Nins attacked us, just looking for money." My bloodlust erupted, I couldn't do anything, and not even Kyuubi was controlling me. I didn't know myself, even as I tore out esophagus and hearts with my bare hands. My body was just in a lusting rage, I wanted to hear screams, and I wanted to taste blood. It was ecstasy as well as disgusting. Sensei could barely get me out of hit, although I managed to give him a rather large scar across his chest for the effort."

Kakashi swallowed at the mental image of this blonde angel tearing out throats with his fingers, "I see."

Naruto turned to face him, large blue eyes wide, "You don't hate me now, do you? I'm sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry!" he sounded panicked and frightened, like an animal caged.

Kakashi reached over rand gently touched the boy's arm, he kept forgetting the boy was mentally unstable, with the way he talks so normally, "Hey, hey, it's ok, I don't hate you, and I never will." Naruto calmed and gave him a smile that made the jounin's heart cringe. Climbing into the man's lap, ignoring his protest, Naruto snuggled into the warm jounin vest. Tilting his head he kissed the underside of the jounin's jaw.

"I wish you wouldn't do that." grumbled Kakashi, "What if somebody saw. You're my student; they'd think I was taking advantage of you." Never the less, his arms came up around the smaller body, ignoring his heads cries for control.

"Whose taking advantage of who?" Naruto mumbled drowsily, already nearly asleep in the jounin's arms. Kakashi sighed as he heard the boy snore softly. He couldn't let this continue, the boy was twelve, or was he thirteen? No, matter, he was his young student and Kakashi was the boy's jounin sensei! It was improper! Stupid, foolish, disrespectful, inappropriate, sickening, pedophiliac-

And then Naruto snuggled deeper, pressing his face against the jounin's neck, tightening his small arms around the larger body, and Kakashi felt his reasons slip away in a clench of his heart.

"Who IS taking advantage of who, eh?"

That morning, a girl walked though the forest, holding a basket full of herbs on her arm. When she stumbled on the clearing, she nearly gasped out loud. There lay that jounin sensei and his blonde student. The silver-haired man's head cradled in the blonde boy's lap, sleeping deeply. The blonde boy, Naruto, looked up and locked gazes with her, and the girl suddenly felt as though the boy saw everything in her eyes.

Bowing, she used the action as an excuse to break eye contact, "Excuse me, I'm sorry for intruding. I was just looking for some herbs." She turned to leave when a light voice called her back, "Don't go, there's some over here." Turning, the boy was pointing at a small patch of the herb she was looking for, not eve three meters away form where the jounin slept in the boys lap.

She smiled in thanks and debated in her mind to refuse and leave, or to try and learn what she can form the boy. When she was kneeling and bent over the herbs, the blonde boy dropped a bomb, "Is Zabu-kun gonna be okay?"

Looking in shock into the boys smiling face, she nearly whipped out her senbon right there, but managed a "What are you talking about?!" cursing herself for the slightly panicked tone.

"Well, you're definitely not a girl, and you smell like that oinin you saved Zabu-kun. Tell me; are you his pretty boy toy?" Naruto smiled again, devilishly.

Haku nearly stumbled over his own tongue, "What….What do you want?" he brought out a senbon, holding it across his pink kimono covered chest. Naruto shook his head, "Oh nothing….nothing. Just want to get across that if you fight me, I will kill you." He said it so simply, it caused shivers to go down Haku's spine, and he remembered how the boy fought Zabuza before, on the water.

"And if he ignores that advice?" Haku tested.

Naruto smirked, a large difference from his playful smile before, "he calls himself a demon…I wonder if he's ever actually met one." The full toothed grin followed Haku even as the beautiful boy ran away, as did the haunting laughter.

Kakashi raised his head, "You are one evil little bastard, do you know that?" the silver haired man raised an eyebrow at the blonde.

Naruto shrugged happily, "What can I say, I have the world's evilest demon in my head,_ anybody_ would have picked a few tricks up."

--

Days passed swiftly, the predicted day of Zabuza's return was tomorrow, and the genin were feeling a bit nervous. As result, even Naruto trained a bit harder than before, passing out in the clearing and giving his teammates the task of dragging him back to the inn. That morning, when waking the blonde boy was unsuccessful, Kakashi ruled that the boy could just sleep in, as Zabuza may not even show up.

So, the two genin, jounin and elder bridge builder went off, leaving the unsuspecting Tsunami and Inari somewhat alone in a big empty Inn.

You all know what happens.

Naruto woke to a scream, '_Kyuuu shut-up with the dreams already.'_

'**not me my kit, that was not me.'**

Naruto's mouth made an 'o' and he quickly donned his white robe, noticing fleetingly that it was an hour before noon.

Downstairs, Tsunami was trying to get her son to stay hidden and away form the two samurai holding her arms. Kicking and screaming, "INARI RUN! GET AWAY!" she even tried to bite her captors, gaining Naruto's respect. Punching the woman in the gut, one of the men sneered, "Shut-up woman, go kill the brat and get this over with" he growled to his companion, who shrugged and stepped towards the young boy.

Inari was near wetting his pants, had a sudden flashback to what the blonde ninja had said. Steeling himself, he sniffed back his tears and yelled, "LEAVE MOM ALONE!" and charged towards the bigger, stronger, older men who held deadly pointy things. The man advancing toward the boy smirked and raising his sword, prepared to chop down onto the boys head. Well, when he tried, he found that he couldn't, seeing as though he didn't have that arm. Turning around, he stared in absolute fear as the blonde crouched predatorily, claws red with blood, and red eyes glaring up at him through his bangs.

He tried to scream, but also found that he couldn't, as he was already dead. Bummer for him.

The other samurai let go of Tsunami and tried to flee, but was also cut down by super sharp claws tearing into his neck. Patting Inari's head with his bloodied up hands, Naruto didn't seem to notice both tsunami and Inari cringe, "Well done lady. Excuse me, I must go to my team." Naruto smiled wickedly, eyes still red and flickered off, disappearing form view. Tsunami swallowed and looked to her son, noticing the slick streaks of blood running down his pale face.

"Let's get you cleaned up."

--

The bridge was covered in mist, the Konoha ninjas were in a standoff with Zabuza and his apprentice. The dead bodies of Tazuna's old Labour team strewn about the ground, torn or ripped in half by what seemed to be massive sword cuts.

There stood Zabuza, smirking evilly, "So where's that pretty little blonde boy Hatake? Did you hide him away in a far off cupboard? Form what my Haku here says, you've gotten quite close to the kid…I wonder how that will fare with you when I kill him." Sakura and Sasuke looked curiously at their teacher, and Kakashi cursed inwardly.

"Are we gonna fight or what?" Kakashi growled, having had enough teasing. Telling Sakura to stay back and protect Tazuna, and Sasuke to go ahead and take on the mysterious fake oinin, the jounin leaped into battle with the demon of the mist.

Thinking to himself as he blocked a sword stroke, Kakashi nearly cried out, '_come on Naruto, please wake up.'_

Little did he know that Naruto was already at the bridge, looking on, his red eyes eerily glowing, and the bloodlust of his demon taking hold. Claws scratched at the cement, Naruto tried to decide who to go after, Haku, or Zabuza. Licking his lips, Naruto nearly whined at the decision to be made. But when Haku constructed those ice mirrors, the blonde just HAD to test them out, to see if they were really as indestructible as he had been told.

The jounin's could feel the demonic chakra leaking out of the boy, as she darted across the bridge, eyes, nose, ears and claws set on the young boy Haku. Fully intending on mutilating him until not even his own dead mother could recognize him.

There's some fluff, as well as a bit of a cliffy for you! I was proud of myself.

How did you like it? Review please!!! :D although this chapter was a bit broken up, with all the sections being there and then there and then there you know? Oh well, I like it

Love you all for being with me this far! I'm actually enjoying this story a lot more than my other ones. :/ *looks around guiltily*

If you have anything to say, review it! ANYTHING!! Please!!! I work on reviews! If I need to fix something, or change something, or add something you think would be funny/cute/odd I WILL ADD IT!

Really.

Sooo many things can fit into this story, just because Naruto's so weird. ^.^

Review! And thank you!

Its too late to go on. Thank god tomorrows…well…today's Sunday hahahaha!!


	5. Chapter 5

GUESS WHAT! IT'S PURGATORY'S BIRTHDAY TODAY! SO TO CELEBRATE I DECIDED TO MAKE AN EXTRA, EXTRA, EXTRA LONG CHAPTER. Hope you like it :DDD

To 131817—I have no idea how long this fic will be, I think I'm just writing till I can't write anymore. :D

To Narukashi666—umm, you're welcome? Lol I'm interested on how I have helped with your writing…. :-) ?

To Lunalover009—HAH I like it. Very good ideas lol…you, may see them pop up in the story….thanks very much ^.^ oh and Spitz…hmm…that's a reminder

To DragonQueen001—very sorry, but this is a yaoi story, but I'll make sure to make it obvious, so you can just skip over…if not, then you just might have to grit your teeth. Haha very sorry.

By the way I don't own Naruto. If I did there would be no such thing as Haruno Sakura, and Kakashi would be mine. End of story.

--

Purgatory

Chapter Five

--

Haku had no warning, just a split second of that strange feeling of something charging at him, before something hit the back of his mirrors. Shatters it, and throws him to the ground below Sasuke's feet.

The long haired boy groaned and looked to his attacker, inwardly shocked and despaired that his mirrors had been destroyed so easily. Two glowing red eyes, poised a foot off the ground, carefully stepping on all four limbs, Naruto circled his prey, fangs bared in a grin.

"Who's this, who's this? Little boy in the woods, can't find his waaaaay." Naruto singed-songed, carving small scratches into the bridge's wood top with his claws. His voice was wheedling, and terrifying. Sasuke backed a few paces, newly awakened Sharingan eyes riveted on his normally angelic teammate's angry face. This brought the blonde attention to him, and he froze with those eyes upon him.

Judging him to be less of a threat, Naruto returned to the risen Haku, laughing like some hyena when the older boy brought out handfuls of senbon. When those senbon were released, Naruto flipped over them and used the motion to propel himself into the standing boy.

Growling, Naruto ripped at the mask Haku wore, "Off, take it off!" grunting, Haku used his legs to push Naruto away, and then quickly returned to one of his mirrors, reflecting his image in the rest of them. Naruto cackled again, standing straight and turning to view every Haku image.

Wearing his white robe splattered with the blood of the earlier samurai, the blonde looked rather…..terrifying, is the word I think. Sasuke was quiet, and he carefully took a couple steps back. Haku noticed, and threw a senbon to keep the Uchiha within boundaries. Naruto noticed Haku's inattention, and flickered in front of him, red chakra loading his fist and releasing when connecting with Haku's face in the mirror.

Once again, the tremendous force from the fist shattered the mirror and threw Haku back. Once the pretty boy brushed off the cracked fragments of his mask and wiped away the blood, he faced Naruto with a shocked face.

"H-how can you shatter it so easily? Nobody has before…." Naruto simply grinned back, tilting his head, his bangs falling into his red eyes. It was tense for a moment, all parties silent and stiff, watching each other carefully. Sasuke swallowed, eyes darting from Naruto back to Haku. The utter menace the blonde was emitting, killer intent swamping his senses…what was he? Some kind of demon?!

"Clk" Naruto clicked his tongue on the top of his mouth, "Clk, Clk, clk. Bad little ninja. I woke up in a bad mood you know, and guess what?" he whispered at the end, suddenly flickering behind the other and speaking into his ear, "I didn't take my pills." A kick to Haku's back, and then it was all Haku could do to keep the blonde strikes from permanently damaging him.

Hopping around, taking hits, and trying to figure out where the _hell_ Naruto would appear next, Haku didn't notice he was infringing on Zabuza's and Kakashi's fight. The jounin's did though, and they stopped to watch the gorgeous boy dance around, Naruto becoming more frenzied and insane as the time went by.

Zabuza grimaced at the speed the blonde was going, remembering his own contact with that speed. A deep knot in his gut, he watched the boy he had raised run from the short deadly blonde, worried. Kakashi narrowed his eyes, piecing together the information he got from his Sharingan.

As he attacked, Naruto became more frenzied, red chakra beginning to bleed out of his eyes and very pores. All they could see now was after traces of the red chakra, lingering like some sort of disease in the air.

"Come on! Fight me back darling little ninja!" Naruto yelled, appeared on the bridge after a rather brutal axe kick, "fight me back! Come on! Stand up! Let me hear you scream!" the blondes normally blue eyes were blood red, wide, and a giant grin adorned his face, displaying his lengthened canines. Haku picked himself off the ground, coughing out blood. Rushing him, Naruto clawed his face, making four red lines gush blood.

Slipping under his arms, Naruto kicked his knees into Haku's chest hard, sending the boy flying back to smash into a pile of lumber. That caused the wood to rumble and collapse, rolling over and on the fallen boy

"W-What are you?" Haku managed to gasp, attempting to stand straight despite the ripping pain in his insides. Naruto cocked his head in confusion, that damnable grin still stretching his face.

"Me? Me, me, me, me, hmm," Naruto sang, on all fours, slowly circling the other boy, "I'm what you would call a mistake." Naruto smiled, licking his tongue out to taste his bottom lip.

Haku was confused, how a human could be a mistake, "What do you mean?" he stalled; trying to keep the blonde from totally destroying him. Naruto giggled, swishing himself up to stand normally. His demeanor changed abruptly, the red chakra dying down to a hum, only his claws, fangs eyes and hair was influenced.

"Well, when two souls are forced into one body prematurely, bad, bad, and baddy things will occur. Such as," Naruto ticked them off on his fingers, "the death of both, the death of one, or, an internal fight between both." Naruto smiled brightly, squinting his eyes shut. Haku looked around; the two were perpendicular to Kakashi's and Zabuza's positions, with Tazuna, Sasuke and Sakura farther away behind the blonde.

There was no place for the boy to run without attracting a deal of attention. He didn't have enough chakra for more ice mirrors and from the way the blonde was looking at him, he probably wasn't going to last long anyways.

Drawing a breath, he subtly got out a handful of senbon from who knows where, asking Naruto, "Two souls? Who's the other?" Naruto didn't answer this one; he only tilted his head, grinning with his fangs proudly. His whisker marks stretched and his eyes narrowed, Haku was suddenly hit with an anime. '_fox.'_ His eyes trailed to the blonde's neck, '_Konoha………fox….kyuubi…two souls….shiiiittt.'_

Suddenly, Naruto seemed distracted into the fog of mist, so thick they couldn't see into the jounin's battle. Naruto started to growl, crouching and bending his back like a hissing cat. Haku was confused until he saw a flash of steel and a familiar body be thrown out of the mist. Naruto crouched at the incoming ninja, probably not even caring that the Momochi didn't know where he was headed.

Turning his head, Zabuza caught sight of Haku staring at him in horror, as he fell, he turned to see blood red eyes jump at him. Crying out in pain, Zabuza landed heavily and hobbled back, holding the deep marks in his chest and neck. Blood ran freely down his neck and chest, and he coughed it out of his failing lungs. Naruto smiled peacefully; raising the bloody hand he had slashed the man with and licked it.

Lapping at his hand, Naruto seemed to calm, the red chakra fell, his hair falling flat, his eyes reverted to blue. He smiled at Kakashi, who came out of the fog after Zabuza, halting and staring wide eyed at the blonde before him and the Mist Demon collapsed to his knees.

Haku stared with wide eyes, opening and closing his mouth as he stared at the blood drenching Zabuza's chest. Zabuza looked at him, coughing roughly, shakily stretching out a hand to the young boy. Then, with a thud, the demon of the hidden mist fell to his side, unmoving.

Haku gave a wail of such despair and grief that the rest on the bridge cringed. Sakura, Sasuke and Tazuna drew closer and saw the young boy flash to Zabuza's side, falling over the large man.

"Zabuza-sama! Zabuza-sama! Wake up! Open your eyes! Please wake up!" Haku cried, running healing chakra over the grievous wounds on the man's neck and chest, doing no good. Zabuza squinted his eyes open, lifted a hand numbly to Haku's cheek and gurgled, "...Ha…ku….I…" then his eyes fell closed, a last gurgling breath escaping his flooded lungs and his body stilled. Haku let out aloud keening wail, a wail so heartbroken and anguished it tore at everybody's insides

Naruto stopped grinning, allowed his blood covered hand to fall to his side. His silent, empty eyes were suddenly devoid of the malicious glee that had filled them before. He stared at the downed Haku, who was crying his eyes out over the still body of his mentor, not caring that his blood seeped into every stitch of his clothing. He seemed confused as to why the other boy was crying, staring at the heart wrenching tears with curiosity.

Kakashi came up behind him and put a restraining hand on his shoulder, bending got whisper in his ear, "Haku loved Zabuza, his death caused him great sadness." This caused Naruto even more confusion, and he stepped to the side in order to see Haku's crying face more easily. Cocking his head, his eyes went out of focus, becoming empty and dull.

'_I took something form him…something important.'_ His brows furrowed, '_I…can't…remember.' _Then he darted his eyes to where Sakura and Sasuke stood, Sakura holding a hand to her mouth and staring at the downed man, riveted on the blood. But Sasuke was staring at him, obsidian eyes questioning, asking something Naruto had no way to answer. Looking back down the Haku, Naruto thought, '_I think…I think its about them…isn't it, about those you….love.'_

Then a great pain tore at his stomach, Kyuubi's voice roared in his mind, '**IDIOT CHILD! None of this is real, the boys lying to you. What did I say about thinking about others kindly hm? HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN ALL I HAVE GIVEN YOU! Easily, I can take away that speed do you like so much. I'll take over that weak, pitiful body of yours and take away those you call your team. You owe them nothing, you can't care for them! Demons do not care, monsters aren't allowed.'**

'_Yea, but, Father Kitsune, it's…..they….I love them….I care for them… you can't touch them!'_ Naruto grasped his head in one hand, stumbling back a step at the resulting headache from the fox.

'**Oh, yes I can you little piece of worthless shit. I can control you, I can kill them. They don't care for you; they think you're a monster and a demon. Look how you ripped that Zabuza man to shreds. Waste of good man meat that was, but they don't see it that way. They see it s your demonic side coming through. You could snap at anytime and kill them. they don't trust you. They don't love you. They haven't given you anything!? WHO GAVE YOU THAT BODY?!'**

Naruto shook his head furiously; eyes staring straight in fear and pain. The inside of his stomach and head were pounding, burning. _'This is my boy, mine! I made my speed! I did! You're not me! I won't kill them! Stop it! Stop, stop, stop, STOP!'_

The wind picked up, cold, harsh, rough, tearing at their clothes and hair. The boy crunched in on himself, holding his stomach. Chakra began to boil out of him, red, angry, _evil_. Its feeling was not human, was not friendly. The despair and absolute hate of the chakra wrenched at the rest of their hearts, paralyzing them with fear.

'_Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! STOP! I don't want to hurt them! Stop it Kyuubi stop, stop, stop, stop I don't want to please no, STOP! No, no, no, no, no, DADDY, HELP ME!'_ Naruto screamed in his mind, falling to his knees.

'**Give in you worthless piece of shit! You want to kill them, you want to taste the blood, warm, metal, gushing blood. I can feel the animal within you screaming to come out! Attack my love, my pet, kill, and eat their flesh, eat their lives. Destroy! Your daddy isn't here! I'M YOUR FUCKING DADDY!' **Kyuubi laughed, sounding just as insane as his container.

'Yes, yes I want…I want to ...NO! Stop, stop you fucking fox, get out of my fucking head! Daddy," Naruto sobbed, not knowing he was now speaking aloud, "Daddy please, help me, Mommy, mommy please Silver, Silver, help, no, stop, carrots, SILVER!"

The blonde boy collapsed to the ground, twitching with Kyuubi's efforts to make the body move. Red chakra swirled over him, creating a maelstrom of mist, steam, heat and rage. The other s on the bridge had to hold themselves down with chakra in order to stay on their feet. Gawking at the blonde boy in the center of such an angry swell, they feared to go near.

Sasuke, Sakura and Tazuna, a bit farther away then the jounin's, could just see and feel the whirling mass of chakra the boy was letting loose. Wind ripped at their clothes, and it was all Sakura could do to keep the bridge builder and herself stuck to the ground. "Sasuke!" she called overt the winds, "what is going on?!" Sasuke just looked at her, inwardly feeling as if his heart was being crushed by the force of the rage, anger and bloodlust.

Naruto grasped his head, screaming at the top of his lungs. Kyuubi was pushing every bit of demonic chakra he could at the boy, not caring that he could in fact destroy the child at any moment.

"NOOOOOO!" Naruto screeched, as loud as he could, holding it as long as he could and even afterwards. His voice hoarse and weak. Within him, he pushed against the demon with all his might, able to keep him back but not enough to push him out. Kakashi was suddenly there, crouching over the blonde boy, his large hands holding the boys side and head to his larger chest. Screaming above the gall Kakashi yelled into Naruto's ear, "Fight him! Keep him out! You are Naruto! Not Kyuubi! Fight him back!"

Suddenly, the chakra died down, and died down I mean stopped immediately. Things that had been flying about in the air simply halted and dropped where they hovered. The bridge was absolutely silent, the blonde boy, for all appearances unconscious. Only their heavy breathing echoed around the torn up bridge.

Kakashi turned the boy over, and saw that his face was twisted into a grimace of great pain, tears streaming down his whiskered cheeks. Wiping a tear with a finger Kakashi whispered with the boy in his arms, "He tortures you every day doesn't he?"

"Who tortures him?" a squeaky voice said to his left. Sakura stood there with Tazuna behind her; she was clutching to Sasuke's arm a hand over her mouth as she stared down at the boy in question. Sasuke was tight lipped but pale-faced. Tazuna didn't know what the fuck had just happened, so he stood back and was silent.

Kakashi gave a wearied sigh, grabbing the boy up into his arms, holding him close and staring down at this face, "you'll have to ask Naruto, but tomorrow, _after_ he takes his pills." The ink haired girl nodded, keeping her eyes on Naruto's face. Kakashi handed the blonde boy to a reluctant Sasuke, saying "Keep an eye on him, don't let him go off if he wakes up. I'll deal with the boy."

Kakashi turned around and approached Haku, who now knelt by Zabuza's body, straightening out his limbs and sword with an expressionless face. His red puffy eyes and cheeks the only sign he had been crying. He stared up at Kakashi as he approached.

"Leave me be." Haku's voice was dead, dead and tired. Losing his only precious person, after everything they went through together, it was not easy. Nor will it ever be. From the plans developing in Haku's mind, it won't be that long.

"You can join us, come to Konoha. You have no missing nin status, you could be a leaf nin." Kakashi reasoned, feeling a pang in his stomach looking into the boys soulless eyes.

Haku gave a sad half grin, "No, there's nothing for me…not anymore." and looked back down to Zabuza's body, stroking a cold cheek.

Kakashi was about to say something else when he was interrupted by clapping. Long, slow and loud claps echoed over the misty bridge. As the mist cleared, the group could see a short squat man in a purple suit standing in front of a rather large mob of thugs and samurai. Gatou clapped, smirking cruelly.

"What's this? The little baby demon couldn't handle an old jounin and his wee genin's? Ohhh" he fake moaned, "poor little haku bitch, losing your master so such a sorry group."

A tick mark appeared above Kakashi's eyebrow, he wasn't that old! It was his hair dammit! HIS HAIR!

Haku growled, an angry sound like a cat hissing at an approaching dog, "Don't fuck with me Gatou, I may just lop that arm off." Gatou shuffled his right arm, which hanged in a loose cast. Obviously, if he was able to clap, it wasn't that broken. However, he still cradled it to his body and glared at Haku with all the venom he could bring to his eyes. Spitting, he said, "You should die just like your useless master. Men! Attack hem! Their heads worth their weight in gold!"

The thugs around and behind him yelled and rushed forward, holding their weapons at ready. Haku himself stood silently, brushing dried tears and crusty blood from his cheeks. Kakashi nearly held a hand out to stop him until he caught the emptiness in the boy's eyes and let his hand fall. Haku, without a sound or thought jumped forward into the front line of thugs, slashing about him and whispering ice jutsu. Ice shards and stakes shot out from the ground to skewer unsuspecting thugs, even as others were turned into pincushions.

Where the effeminate boy hid all those damn pointy needles, no-body would ever know.

Kakashi gave a wearied sigh and evaluated his chakra levels and tiredness, although, the old spark of Battle Blood awakened and roared to jump into the melee. Making a sound of surrender, the silver haired man turned and spoke over his shoulder to his genin's, "Stay out of this and protect the builder and Naruto." Sasuke and Sakura nodded, a little disturbed by the revitalized glint in the man's eye.

Calmly walking toward the mass of human bodies, Kakashi felt himself slip into his Anbu personae, White Wolf. Unsealing a simple katana from a scroll, he dashed into the fight, blood and adrenaline rushing through his ears. Power and authority filled his every particle; men fell under his sword, fist or foot.

His fucking pinky finger killed a couple of them.

Back with the rest of the group, you could see that they were staring wide eyed at their teacher's viciousness. They had seen enough death and blood by now that the deaths happening not 20 feet form them didn't bother them as much as it would have a the start of the mission.

Sasuke and even Sakura admitted themselves to a little feeling of triumph and coarse pride in their teacher's ability to utterly demolish an army. Sasuke nearly screamed when a hand suddenly reached up and grasped his shirt in a rough grip. Looking down, he saw Naruto wide awake and staring at the massacre with wide, unblinking eyes.

"Let me go." The blonde said, licking his lips and trembling slightly in the other's grip. Reluctantly, the Uchiha set him down, slightly disappointed in loosing the heat and warmth the blonde had given him. When Naruto tried to walk away to the fight, Sasuke grabbed his arm and hissed "What are you doing! Kakashi said to stay away."

Naruto gave him a placating look, patting his cheek with a bloody hand, "Sorry Sasuke-chan, but I have to make that crazy fox in my head happy, or else I won't sleep ever again." The comforting smile he offered belied his odd words, and was enough to make Sasuke let go.

The blonde held his head, even being so close to such an amount of blood, and death, and screams. It was shocking really, even as he tore out some poor man's eye and slashed his neck that at the same time that he did this with such a normal expression. It was like he wash washing the dishes, or taking out the garbage.

When Kakashi noticed the blonde boy in the fight, the man did his best to help him out, grabbing whatever thugs were trying to sneak up on him. The two weren't student and teacher, nor were they comrades. They were simply fighters against one enemy. Bathing in blood and flesh and screams together, the two worked together as people, age had no matter, colors had no matter, and they were just two people doing their jobs, killing.

Haku was the first to Gatou, and within seconds, his decapitated head hit the bridge, several yards away from his body. Haku stood there as Naruto and Kakashi finished up the last of the thugs, standing silently staring into the distant water.

Kakashi rushed over to Naruto, who seemed on the verge of falling over. Wrapping and arm around his shoulder, the Hatake allowed the blonde to lean against him. Naruto's head hung down, and he mumbled to Kakashi, "Just had to make him happy, that's all I can do. Just….make him happy." And he passed out, blood covering his ace, arms, white robe. Well, red robe now, there were very few spots of white left.

Even as Inari and his villagers arrived, even as team seven reunited as one, Haku stood there. Turning, he looked at the downed body of Zabuza with empty eyes. When he caught sight of Kakashi looking at him, Haku turned fully and nodded respectfully, giving a short bow.

Then without a word, he let himself fall back and plummet to the water below. He didn't resurface.

Sakura, when they group was back at Tazuna's house asked why he had done that, why he had killed himself. Kakashi sighed wearily and answered, tired from the day's activities, "He had nothing left to live for, Sakura, so he saved himself the pain of moving on." She didn't quite understand, but nodded anyways, keeping her thoughts to herself.

It took a few more weeks to finish the bridge, and by that time, Team seven learned things about each other that they really couldn't have guessed before.

_Flashback_

"_N-Naruto?" Sakura asked hesitantly, Sasuke obviously listening in, "Uhm, what happened there, at the bridge?" she seemed worried, of him or of his reaction, Kakashi couldn't tell. Tensing, the jounin was ready to intercept the conversation, but decided to stay quiet and let the blonde deal with it on his own._

_After the Wave incident, he seemed to become more lucid, more…normal. It was a stark different to the normally eccentric and out of place blond. To Kakashi, he thought it was rather dull, and when the boy got back to his usual oddness a couple days after the event, Kakashi allowed himself to relax. Staring at Sakura with obvious consternation, Naruto was deciding what to say._

"_What do you see, when you don't see me?" Naruto asked hesitantly, not wanting to come right out with it. Sakura was confused, but by now she knew that what Naruto says may seem weird at face value, they actually mean something quite different._

"_So, when you're not yourself, you're someone else?" Sasuke stated, dark brows knitted in confusion. Naruto nodded emphatically._

"_So, who do you become?" Sakura asked, absently, petting Spitz's white tale. The little fox had appeared out of no where from the forest, and when Naruto was asked where he had been the entire time, they were met with a smile and a wink._

"_Um…Remember that evil fox in my head I told you about? Well, the evil fox that is in my brain is….well…is in my brain." Kakashi nearly laughed at Naruto's explanation, but hysterical laughter was not needed at this very moment so he controlled himself._

"_Evil fox in your head?" Sakura mumbled to herself, eyeing Spitz with a bit of distrust. They were still confused, and Naruto had no idea what to continue with, so Kakashi decided to help the little one out, screw the thirds law. "What evil foxes are known in Konoha?"_

_Naruto shot him a wide smile and Kakashi was suddenly thankful his mask covered the majority of his cheeks. Realization dawned don the other's faces, and they looked to Naruto with shock in their eyes. "Kyuubi, but how?" Kakashi sighed, as Naruto seemed to have lost his attention, and was now following silently after a butterfly. "The Yondaime could not kill the fox, he had to seal it. That much Youki and a human were not meant to be forced together so, there is always side affects." The significant glance and sad tone Kakashi sent at the giggling boy was not lost on the other team members. _

"_Does…" Sakura bit her lip, "does it hurt him?" she still seemed to be accepting the news, Sasuke made little reaction other than a widening of his eyes, and an observing look to the blonde in question._

_Kakashi sighed again, sadly, "Every day." Solemnly, he ran a hand through his student's blonde locks comfortingly, feeling his heart cringe when the blonde smiled up at him. _

_He was not a pedophile, he was not a pedophile, he was not a pedophile, he was not a pedophile…._

_Flashback end_

From then on, Team seven seemed to grow closer, Sasuke loosened up, Sakura spoke out more, and Naruto gained two life-long loyal friends. When it came time for the team to return back to Konoha, it was an odd sight to behold. Inari was, oddly clutching onto Naruto's white robe fighting the urge to sob his eyes out while Naruto entertained himself by playing and braiding the boy's hair. Inari's beloved green hat sat on Naruto's head, a departing gift from the sniffing boy attached to his waist.

Tazuna shook hands with Kakashi, smiling brightly, "Thank you so much for you help. We could not have done it without you, come visit sometime?" this he asked the others of the group, Sakura smiled and promised she would try, Sasuke just nodded politely and turned to leave, the anti-social bastard, and Naruto patted Inari's hair once, thanked him for the hat and ran to catch up with them.

The last sight Tazuna, Tsunami or any of the others saw was of the blonde boy leaping and attaching himself to Sasuke's back, in a twisted sense of a piggy back despite the Uchiha's obvious reluctance.

Tazuna laughed and held Inari's shoulder, "Those kids, they changed the way this village lives, and changed the way Inari saw life. What shall we name this bridge daughter?"

Tsunami eyed him with an amused look, "What are you planning father? Getting sentimental in your old age." he seemed affronted, sniffing and turning to the rest of the village. "I here by declare this bridge, THE GREAT TEAM SEVEN BRIDGE!"

Not a week after there was a plaque built at the foot of the bridge reading "The Great Team Seven Bridge, dedicated to those ninja who had the spark to save this village. Here's to Uzumaki Naruto, Hatake Kakashi, Haruno Sakura and Uchiba Sasuke. May they live forever."

----(now, normally I would end it here, but since it's a special occasion and I'm running on high caffeine levels, I'll continue. Worship me.) ((and Uchiba was intentional.))

Walking home was uneventful; Sasuke seemed to be twitching at the lack of entertaining things, as Naruto had fallen asleep on Kakashi's shoulder. Seeing as Sasuke had refused to carry him, Naruto had shifted his attentions to their squad leader. Latching onto his back like some for of external parasite, Naruto had snuggled deep into the flak jacket the jounin wore, nestling his head into the crack between the silver haired man's neck and the vest. Spitz, the ever opportunist for a warm comfy spot followed his master and jumped up to Kakashi's hair of all things. Rustling about like a puppy and turning in circles before curling up and falling asleep.

Sighing in consternation, Kakashi didn't know what to do with his eccentric student and his pet. Deciding to leave them where they were, he turned his eye to his other students. Staring blankly a them, he brought out his book, on hand holding onto the blonde, the other flipping the pages.

"Not a word." Sasuke and Sakura daintily looked away, fighting to keep the smirks off their faces.

The day passed quickly, as they were able to move faster without a civilian. They were in Konoha by the time dinner rush was about to begin, around 5:30. The team unanimously entered into the Hokage's mission room, inevitably finding the poor old man still sitting there, piled and piles of papers around him.

"Ahh, Team Seven, took you a lot longer to arrive. What kept you?" the elderly man asked, wise eyes running over the still sleeping blonde and some what weary aruno and Uchiha,HarHaruno and Uchiha.

"Team seven reporting to hand in mission bridge builder, success. Originally C-ranked mission escalated within a day to b-ranked and then to an A-rank. Missing nin Momochi Zabuza and his unknown apprentice were employed by enemy. Both were dealt with and the bridge completed. No casualties on our side." Kakashi clipped off, shinobi-like.

Sarutobi blinked at the information, "Everything went alright I take it?" everybody noticed the worried glance he sent to the snoozing blonde of Kakashi back. As if he felt their stares, Naruto woke up to blearily rub his eyes. Kakashi motioned him to get down, but the blonde pouted at him and clenched his arms around the man's neck tighter, burying his face into eh side of his neck.

Letting out a few strangled sounds, Kakashi tried to fend off the boy, finding it surprisingly difficult to remove his arms and legs. He was stuck to that man like white was on rice. Though, it id feel kind nice…NO! He was not a pedophile, he was not a pedophile, the Hokage is watching; he was not a pedophile, he was not a pedophile…

"Oi, Naruto, give the kid room to breathe." Jiraiya's voice boomed from the other side of the room, "Beside, you mother came to see you."

Naruto popped off Kakashi and pranced over to Jiraiya, smiling brightly. Spinning he waved to his team before following after his vagrant father. Not a few seconds later, they heard a loud, "NARU-CHAN!" followed by an angry "JIRAIYA!" and the white haired man was sent through the wall.

Sarutobi sat as the dust settled, already smiling to greet his other student, as if people flying through walls were a normal thing. When a tall, big-chested blonde woman stepped through the broken wall, Team seven understood the red hand mark on Jiraiya's cheek.

She was Senju Tsunade, granddaughter of the first Hokage and one of the three sennins. And she was Naruto's mother?!

"Ah, Tsunade, how are you?" Sarutobi smile at her, tapping his pipe on the side of his desk. The woman sniffed at him, "Good sensei, though I'm disappointed, you haven't been keeping Jiraiya in check have you?" Sarutobi had the decency to look ashamed. Jiraiya ahs been…let off the hook one to many times for peeking on women's bathes…hell…Sarutobi had even shown him the advantage of having a crystal ball.

"Don't be too harsh on him momma, daddy's just been a bit confused lately." Naruto spoke up from behind her, bending so he could see her face, "his brain's loose."

Jiraiya spluttered as he stood up, trying to say something to argue those charges. Tsunade looked amused, "His brains loose? How do you know that dear?"

Naruto grinned, hugging her around the waist, "cuz he gets hit in the face four times a day. Its gotta shake something up you know." Jiraiya glared at him, eye twitching. Tsunade threw her head back and laughed along with the others.

"Oh, how you're right brat, now, get." Tsunade focused her glare on Sarutobi, who wilted a bit in his seat, "me an the old man there have things to discuss." Naruto nodded, ran forward and grabbed Sasuke's and Sakura's hands, pulling them out of the room. Kakashi bowed to the Hokage, whipped out his book and stalked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Tsunade turned serious, taking a seat up near the desk along with Jiraiya.

"Now tell me sensei," she stated solemnly, "What's this about Orochimaru and the chuunin exams?"

--

Outside team seven were on their way to Ichiraku's, Naruto animatedly speaking to Kakashi, Sasuke and Sakura following along behind and beside.

"But those radishes and pumpkins can grow surprisingly big!" Naruto held his arms out to illustrate his point. Kakashi "hmm"ed and nodded, looking to be absorbed in his book. However, he was inwardly laughing his ass off, because the cute little blonde brat was making the most adorable faces.

He just wanted to reach down there and squeeze a cheek. Then, Kakashi felt his eyes wander down to the boys robe, too big and nearly falling off his shoulders. Then down to his pert little butt, swaying with—NO!

Ripping his focus back to the book, Kakashi felt like hitting himself. He was not a pedophile! He was not a pedophile, he was not a pedophile! This time, Kakashi really did hit himself in the face, groaning out loud. He was thinking that one particular line a little bit too much.

He felt the children watching him, so he just eye-smiled and brought his book up to hide his mask, "Whose paying?" he chirped, desperately trying to get their attentions on something else. Fortunately, it worked and the children started to argue, walking inside the ramen bar. Sighing to himself, Kakashi felt his eyes wander again on teat small, white cloth covered back. Tearing his eyes away and to his book, he furiously read the smut filled story to immerse himself in women. Adult women, with boobs, vaginas, boobs, and….ADULTNESS.

Then Naruto poked his head between his eyes and the book, smiling a large smile and asking him what ramen he wanted in that far-off dreamy voice of his.

DAMMIT!

--

Hahahahah wow that was fun. Hope you guys liked it, its not much bigger, buts its something you know? Not much Yaoi action, though I tend to focus a bit too much on Kakashi and Naruto.

Sorry about that.

So yeah, review and offer any kinds of suggestions, criticisms, and remarks about Purgatory!!! Reveiwwww!!!!

And give me a few out of this world things Naruto could do…something that is so totally out there that its just something he could do.

Next time there's training and the CHUUNIN EXAMS!

Not to mention, Naruto is going to meet the other teams.

Ohohohohoh. Funnn.

Anyways, review and I may let purgatory live.


	6. Chapter 6

HAPPY NEW YEAR :D

To: Lunalover 009—I KNOOOWWW!! Spell check…it just doesn't work for me. Maybe I'll have to get a beta or something : ( sorry about all the mistakes. And yeah, I used your idea… thank you!!

To: Narukashi666 – REALLY?!?! HAH! TAKE THAT! Now I feel awesome. You just boosted my day. :D

To: crazyinacan – hahaha, ok what?

--

Purgatory

Chapter 6

--

"Okkaayyy, kiddies," Kakashi began, smirking at Sasuke's expression to the title, "Chuunin exams are in two weeks, we need to train you up to that level." He turned to the pink haired girl sitting next to Sasuke, "Sakura, we're improving your taijutsu and over-all fitness," then to Sasuke, "Sasuke, we're refining your ninjutsu and taijutsu to perfection," then to Naruto who was perched atop a training log, "Naruto we're going to wean you off Kyuubi's chakra, and onto your own." He looked around them, a cheery look in his eyes.

He clapped and created two shadow clones and sent the children off with one. In some sort of subconscious selfish move he went with Naruto personally to an open spot beside both the river and the forest edge.

"Alright then Naruto-kun, what do you want to start with?" Kakashi eye-smiled at the standing blonde, his mask stretching. Naruto put a finger to his cheek and pushed in, looking thoughtful. "I…" he paused and then smiled brightly, "I want to eat."

Kakashi stared at him, "You can't eat."

Naruto frowned, "Why not?"

"Because we're training." The blonde looked affronted and shocked.

"Training to eat?"

"No, training for the chuunin exams." Kakashi sweatdropped as Naruto suddenly had the face of someone learning the meaning of life.

"Of course we are Kashi-kun! What did you think we were doing?" he smiled cutely and giggled, putting hand up to his mouth. Kakashi sighed and hung his head, inwardly debating the decision to leave Anbu.

--

Sakura nervously shifted from foot to foot, staring at her silent sensei-clone. Sensei-clone was just standing there; arms crossed staring at her with a grim look in his eye. She was quite intimidated, but soon mustered enough courage to ask, "Um, sensei? When should I start?"

Kakashi-clone peered and her and nodded once sharply, before starting off on a long list of training exercises, ticking them off on his fingers. As he went on and on, Sakura shrank in on herself, how is that even humanly possible?! She was supposed to do what?!

After a while the Kakashi-clone stopped and grinned evilly at her, "Well? Lets get started." He tossed something at her, and she was quick to get her hands up. A few seconds later she blinked as she found herself on the ground. "Weights." Kakashi answered her unspoken question.

Sakura blanched, struggling to remove the stupid things and get up. She wasn't doing a good job.

--

"Alright Sasuke, I admit you're better than your teammates at the over-all aspects of shinobi-ness." Sasuke began to smirk arrogantly, but it fell as the Hatake-clone continued, "Well, barring Naruto's speed, and Sakura's chakra control. Oh and also, Naruto's waaaay cuter than you…Sakura's just okay." Kakashi closed his eyes and nodded resolutely with his testament.

Sasuke sweat-dropped, sometimes it seemed as though Naruto's personality had rubbed off on their sensei. "What will we start with?" Sasuke asked, not a little bit impatient. Kakashi stopped and looked at him harshly before reaching over and poking him sharply in the forehead. Sasuke's eyes widened at the familiar move and he stared in shock at his Sensei.

"He's not all you have in you life you know." Kakashi was serious, "you have us to lean on and I damn well expect some leaning." He stared hard at the sulking boy. Sasuke grimaced, but Itachi was everything to him, he couldn't just ignore his revenge.

"I'm not saying to ignore that part of your life I'm just asking for you to lean it up a bit, put it on hold; it won't kill you to make friends." Sasuke started at his teacher, the man could see straight through him and he really didn't like that. A renewed scowl later and Kakashi started to laugh, conjuring up two more clones and henging them to look like the rest of their team.

"We're going to work on your ability to work with others. Now, come at me," Sasuke smirked, but Kakashi held up a hand, "_with_ the help of your teammates."

--

After a week of training, the team started to work together again, learning on each others improvements and strengthening their ability as a team. Out of the three, Sakura had made the biggest transformation, now wearing her forehead protector as an actual _forehead_ protector and tying her long hair up in a tight pony tail. Switching her red dress with black shorts and a red shirt, she looked more capable as a ninja, much to her team's relief.

Sasuke had given up the ridiculous white shorts and forearm warmers, and now wore long black pants tucked into his shoes and his normal blue shirt. Naruto had actually gotten rid of his overly-large white kimono that looked more suitable for an old large fat man, and shrunk it down to a nice fit, held together with a blood red sash. On his neck hung his mother's necklace and his forehead protector, his head conveniently covered by the green striped hat Inari had given him. Naruto's eyes peeked out from between his blonde hair, mashed downwards by the hat. (AN: think the Bleach guy, Kisuke I think his name is, without the shadows.)

The team was eating at Ichirakus, talking and basically enjoying each others company. Naruto was giggling something to Kakashi, while on his other side Sakura was giggling something to Sasuke. Every once in a while the two would turn to face each other and giggle about something and Sasuke and Kakashi would exchange amused glances over their heads.

Eventually, when they had finished eating, Kakashi stood up regretfully, "Sorry guys; gotta go do jounin-like things. See you tomorrow." He lifted the blonde's hat to rustle Naruto's hair affectionately then poofed out of there like an Inuzuka in heat was on his tail.

Naruto just smiled and turned back to his teammates, confused by their inquisitive looks. "What?" he tilted his head cutely, wide blue eyes larger than normal. Sakura was thoughtful, "You know, Kakashi-sensei is really friendly to you." Sasuke nodded with her dark eyes observing him.

Naruto tilted his head farther and let a smile play along his lips, "Friendly," his gaze moved onto things the others couldn't see, "Yes."

Sakura shook her head at her teammate's confusing words and sighed. Grabbing the blonde's hand she also clutched Sasuke's arm, urging them out of the stand and to wander around Konoha. It was Sunday; their day off training, and the scheduled first exam was in one week exactly. Kakashi told them that he had decided to go easy for the last week, giving them only one thing to work on each.

Sakura got a spiffy new medical jutsu, strong enough to knit together bones and seal up grievous wounds and at the same time consuming less chakra. Sasuke got a new taijutsu stance, more suitable to his smaller frame than the big box like style of the Uchiha's. Naruto and Spitz, yes, it was a dual attack, utilizing the tiny fox created an absolutely new attack along with Kakashi, basing off one of the Inuzuka's clan techniques.

See, Spitz is a….special….fox. Normally chakra coils didn't appear in animals, but with some small tinkering on Kyuubi's side, nobody had noticed that the fox had the ability to use chakra until they had found him padding around on the ceiling.

"Come on guys; let's find something interesting to do." Sakura exclaimed, sending them both a wide grin. Naruto shook his head emphatically, and Sasuke deemed her with the bare semblance of a smile.

It was strange; at the start the team's dynamics were so low and…well, horrible, it's shocking that they were still alive. Naruto toned his oddness down enough that his teammates could understand him, Sakura toned down her fangirl-ness, and her crush on Sasuke was now backseat to the loyalty to her team, and Sasuke had toned down on his revenge-filled mind, allowing people to come close and become friends.

Wow. What would Iruka-sensei say?

Suddenly, the trio noticed a strange entity following them. A rock that looked like a box with three sets of eyes hunkered on the ground. Naruto blinked at the odd sight a moment before his face split into a wide smile, "Kono-chan!"

Before his team could ask who this 'Kono-chan' was, a childish and surprisingly loud voice came from within the box.

"As expected by my worthy rival!" and with a poof the box was gone, leaving three children posed in a sort of marvel comic cover type of thing. Sakura couldn't help but giggle at the foolish stance and sadly, that's what brought Konohamaru's attention to her.

"Hey! Watch who you're laughing at! I'm the future Hokage!" the child screamed at her, and she raised an eyebrow, attempting not to snicker at his pout. "Well, good for you." She replied, smiling. The girl of the trio looked at her and noticed the kunai holsters on both her legs, raising her voice she asked cutely, "Are you a Kunoichi, miss?"

Feeling a feminine urge to squeal at her cuteness, Sakura nodded instead and answered, "yes I am, are you children in the academy?" the two began to talk, largely ignoring the males around them.

Konohamaru was yelling at Naruto, "Oni-chaaaan! You promised you would play today!" and he pouted with the threat of childish tears in his eyes. Naruto giggled and squatted to the boy's level.

"Weeeelll," he answered sweetly, putting a finger to his chin, "we're bored so how about we all play together?" Konohamaru cheered with his friends. Sasuke was on the verge of vehemently protesting doing anything of the sort before Sakura's cold death glomp on his arm stopped him. She whispered in his ear, "Look at him, he's happy. You're going to play with us like a bratty kid or else I will disembowel you and stretch your innards to Kumo and back." The pinkette said this with a kind smile, watching Naruto laughed and fool around with the three children. Sasuke nodded with a slight twitch of his head, inwardly sighing when her grip receded.

Immediately, he was faced with a small snot-nosed brat. Sasuke, in an attempt to appear approachable said, "Sasuke." The little boy sniffled back his snot and replied, "Udon."

The two continued to stare at each other, both wondering on what to do next when Konohamaru suddenly hopped up, "Let's play tag!" he cried, poking Naruto in the shoulder yelling, "You're it!" and running off. Moegi and Udon followed behind their fearsome leader, both laughing as they were chased by the older genin's.

Inevitably, since Konohamaru had the lead and really wasn't watching where he was going, he collided head on with something a lot larger and tougher than him.

On the ground the Hokage's grandson groaned out, "Ow…what hit me?" while rubbing his head. A hand reached down and pulled him off the ground to face an angry painted scowl. "What the hell are you doing brat?!"

When Team seven rounded the corner, they stopped and held the other two children back. Sakura went forward and asked them politely, "Put him down please, we were just playing." The odd painted faced man dressed in black with…kitty…ears sneered at her and answered, "Why should I? The little snot hit me, he should be punished."

The blonde girl the kitty clad ninja was with said to him lowly, "Stop Kankuro, don't make trouble. We want to get to the hotel before he comes back!" 'Kankuro' waved her back. He glared at Konohamaru, who was still being held up in front of him nearly shitting his pants.

Kitty man reared back for a punch, letting fly hopefully into Konohamaru's face. The boy squinted his eyes shut and waited for the inevitable, but the inevitable didn't come, instead he was dropped unceremoniously on the ground. When he opened his eyes to the sound of a strangled gasp, he gapped at what he saw.

Sweet little innocent Naruto was standing in front of Kankuro, standing incredibly close within his gaud and holding his fist. The blonde face was not even an inch away and he was peering intently into the others eyes.

Konohamaru scrambled back and left the blonde to the slightly older genin. Naruto on his part was incredibly confused, but interested.

'He smells….he smells different, there is a smell on him I recognize, that you recognize, who, who do I sense? Who do I want to kill?' he asked in his mind, ignoring Kankuro's startled curse.

'**Tanuki, Raccoon dog, Shukaku!'** Kyuubi hissed; malice and bloodlust shaking his words. The fox was rearing back in his mind, maybe subconsciously leaking his own lust into Naruto.

Kankuro ripped himself out of the blonde's grasp, more than a little disturbed by the intensity of the blondes gaze. Stepping back, he leaned away as Naruto's nose followed him.

"I smell him on you, where is he?" Naruto asked, unusually serious. Behind him, Sakura sent off the children as Sasuke approached the fox container. Hissing at the Uchiha, Naruto became even more frantic, menacingly crouching and sliding towards Kankuro.

"Where is the mutt?! The dog?! Where is he?!" Naruto was becoming vexed, and it showed with his reddening eyes. Sasuke put a small hand on his shoulder blade, ignoring the hissing and threatening claw.

"Naruto, focus, focus." The Uchiha warned, oblivious to the incredulous glances from the sand ninjas. They knew when something was not right, and this small blonde's chakra felt the same as….his. It held the same anger, the same bloodlust. It sent tremors into their knees and squeezed their hearts with fear.

Suddenly, Naruto focused on the tree, his back arching and his fangs growing slightly. His hiss turned into an unearthly growl as he bit out, "**Shukaku.**" He glared up into the tree, unaware of the sand nin's sudden fright. Up in the tree stood a red haired boy, arms crossed and pale teal eyes fixed on Naruto's red. A kanji for love was inscribed on his forehead, and oddly enough, sand was whirling about his clothes and hair.

His face held no expression except for a slight tensing of his eyes and mouth. The sand became angry, lashing about with small tendrils he continued to stare at the hissing blonde.

Suddenly disappearing in a flurry of sand and reappearing in the same manner not five feet away from the blonde, the bystanders in the encounter felt their hearts seize at the killing intent between the two.

'**TANUKI SON OF A BITCH! I SHOULD KILL YOU WHERE YOU STAND BLOOD TRAITOR! HOW DARE YOU SHOW FACE TO ME!!!???' **Kyuubi shouted within Naruto's mind, making the Blonde both annoyed and flustered. Naruto however was more concerned with the boiling hatred he was feeling for the red head in front of him, and took a few stumbling steps forward, claws clenching.

Gaara finally admitted to showing emotion, gasping and reaching up to his head in pain. Mother's voice was hurting him and he suddenly realized he was whimpering.

'KYUUBI! IT'S KYUUBI! RUN YOU WORM! RUN LEST HE RIP OUT OUR INSIDES! LOOK! LOOK! HIS HOST IS ANGRY! GET OUT OF THERE BEFORE YOU GET GUTTED YOU IDIOT! LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER!' Shukaku screeched, giving his host a migraine.

"But…mother…" Gaara managed, starring wide eyed at the red eyed teen before him. How could a boy gather so much anger from her? And…she had said kyuubi; does that mean….the blonde was the same as him? A new screech ended that thought and he devoted his thoughts to the task of calming his m other.

"Mother…mother stop…I'll give you…if you stop, I'll kill someone, its ok mother I'll kill him for you." He muttered crazily, the sand whisking about his ankles.

Gaara wasn't the only one having an argument with his inner demons, Naruto was clutching his stomach in pain, eyes warring between blood red and twinkling blue. "Fuzzy….fuzzzbaaaalll. Stop right now or you won't get any food tonight…stop right now. Stop. Stoop. Sttoooooppp." Naruto was getting angry at the roars in his mind, mistakenly allowing Kyuubi to gain a bit of control of his thoughts.

"**Kill him, kill him now child, dear dear lovable child." **Kyuubi coaxed, "**kill him now. They will love you for it, bask in his pain, kill him for me my dear boy, and make your daddy proud."**

"You're not my daddy, I can't kill, not since last time, no I don't…" Naruto tried to gasp, but all he could see were huge, angry red eyes grinning at him. Naruto convulsed, falling into a crouch, the red chakra beginning to seep out of his skin. He grinned at Gaara.

The red head was in a similar situation, grinning wickedly at the blonde boy, the sand moving up from the ground to whip at the air, sticking to the pale skin and hardening. Naruto was on the verge of attacking, to sink his claws into that flesh, to tear that fucking demon traitor's throat out and rip apart his body.

But suddenly, arms were around him, pinning his claws to his sides. Reacting out of instinct, Naruto swiped blindly, feeling a bit of satisfaction when he heard a grunt of pain and felt small drops of blood on his claws.

"Naruto-kun! You stop this right now mister. Think of what Kakashi will do to you?! Think of your parents, your mommy and daddy. It's us Naruto-kun, its just Suke-chan and Kura-kun, push him away Naruto-kun. You can do it. Push him away!" a voice gently called, hands massaging his shoulders, running through his hair and pulling on his cheeks.

His vision cleared, he recognized that voice, he knew her. He was met with the worried faces of Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke. Sasuke sported three horizontal cuts across his left cheek, one going across his nose, all bleeding slightly. Blinking, Naruto reached a hand up and fingered those cuts, noticing Sasuke flinch slightly.

"Sorry bout that one Suke-chan." Naruto quipped, shaking himself so the Uchiha's arms fell away. Their faces cleared as they watched Naruto's red eyes give way to cerulean blue. Sasuke rustled the blonde's hair, even when Sakura set about healing his cheek, "Don't do that again you little runt." The dark haired boy said, giving a sort of half smirk half smile. Naruto beamed back at him before noticing the sand genins.

Gaara had gotten hold of himself, but Temari and Kankuro still hung back, absolutely terrified by both their brother and of the little blonde boy who looked too sweet to have emitted such bloodlust.

"What is your name?" Gaara asked emotionlessly, staring at Naruto. Said blonde turned his head sideways, peering at the red head from the corner of his eye.

"Naruto."

Gaara was surprised, "No last name?"

Naruto shook his head, rustling about the hair plastered on his face, "Too many." He managed to stay civil, dispute his tenant's screams and yells.

The demon container seemed to ponder this and then nodded acceptingly, offering, "Sabaku no Gaara." He turned around, "Kankuro! Temari! We're leaving." And within seconds, the three had gone around a corner.

Naruto was flicked in the back of the head by Sakura, "You got to be more careful Naru-kun!"

Sasuke took off his hat to mess up the blonde hair underneath. Scrunching his nose up, Sasuke regarded the thing, "It's bothersome for you to wear this. Impedes the ability to mess up your hair." Nodding to himself, Sasuke oh so solemnly sat the hat upon his own head. The hat made a good job of offsetting his dark hair and eyes, but seemed to clash horribly with his pale skin and serious expression.

Seeing the Uchiha's stony visage and the hat that utterly demolished that had Sakura stuffing a fist in her mouth to keep form laughing in his face…Naruto had no qualm.

He fell on the ground laughing and holding his sides. Sasuke stood against this lack of regard, face somber. The expression was ruined by the green and white striped hat however, and it sent the two into new gales of laughter.

Naruto never did take the hat back, and Sasuke never did take it off.

--

One week later, and the three were standing outside the Academy, ready to enter and start the exams. Sakura was a bit nervous, but several glances to the unconcerned faces of her teammates and her worries were put to rest. Not to mention two of the Sannin were standing before her, proud smiles on their faces.

"Little Brat, you be careful in there okay?" Tsunade kneeled before her adopted son, brushing the hair out of his eyes, "make your momma and daddy proud alright?" she kissed his forehead and gave him a tight hug. Jiraiya boomed a laugh and turned to the other two, making Sakura eep slightly and Sasuke to stiffen.

Putting an arm around the two, he tugged them close and held them immobile as he spoke, "And you two! Take care of him, play nice with the others kids, unless the other kids want to fight then you gotta kick the other kids butts okay?" he boomed laughter again, "now off with you kiddies, show them what Konoha can do!" and suddenly, with a flurry of leaves both Tsunade and Jiraiya were gone, probably to watch over the Sandaime and monitor the genin's progress with small little TV screens.

Naruto turned and took both their hands, smiling brightly and happily, "Come on! Let's go! SPITZ!" He yelled, and the little fox was a blur, landing atop Naruto's head and curling down into the fluffyness with a small mewl.

The three entered and followed the directions posted, a left, up the stairs, a right, hand in your forms, down the hallway and up the stairs agai-what was this? A crowd of confused looking chuunin hopefuls, and a team being pushed around by obviously henged burly chuunins?

Looks like Team Seven' playground to me.

"What's this, what's this?" Naruto pranced up to the girl with buns for a hair style, "What are you doing on the floor?! Don't you know how dirty it is?" Naruto stared at her with his big blue eyes, putting his face way into her personal bubble.

"Uhm," the girl replied, completely put off by him, "he…he just hit me." Naruto drew back suddenly, closing his eyes and holding a finger up scholarly-like. "That is the answer!" then he blinked open his eyes and stared off dazedly, once again leaving the world of the living. Sakura and Sasuke came up behind him, the pink haired girl helping the other to her feet, smiling apologetically, "Sorry, he's just like that."

The girl nodded, "It's alright. My teammates are a bit wacko too," she gestured to the spandex wearing bowl cut guy to her right, and to the mildly sulking pale Hyuuga to her left, "My names Tenten by the way."

Sakura nodded, "Sakura."

Sasuke was about finished with the dilly-dallying and out of no-where pompously said, "Let us through please, we're going to the _third_ floor." Crickets chirped as they stared at the onyx eyed boy wearing a green hat.

Naruto even stared at him, "Woooow." The blonde boy motioned, "That was arrogant."

Sasuke sighed and dropped his shoulders muttering to himself. Naruto smiled and ran over to him, randomly throwing his arms around the boy's neck and kissing his cheek. What was funny was that Sasuke just put a hand to the blondes back, used to the treatment.

Sakura turned back to Tenten smiling happily, "Yep, those are my teammates." Tenten stared at her in horror.

One of the ignored chuunin failures at the door suddenly spoke up, a bit irritated that they were ignored, "What makes you children think you have the skill to become Chuunin? You're all just brats!" he sneered, marching forward with the express threat of beating them.

Sakura stared at him boredly, leaning on one foot and twirling the end of her pony tail, "Naruto…..sic im." The blonde smiled creepily and leapt.

Two minutes later, screams, loud noises and a pineapple later, Naruto was sitting gaily upon on of the chuunin's unconscious backs, lifting and slamming his face over and over into the wooden floor. Sasuke 'hned' and approached the staircase, he stopped and looked at Sakura, bowing and holding a hand out, "Ladies first."

Sakura beamed at the gesture and made to take the hand and proceed up the stairs. Naruto passed her first though, ignoring Sasuke's hand he flounced up the stairs ahead of them. Sakura rolled her eyes, "Ladies first." and looped arms with Sasuke, knocking his hat slightly and followed the blonde.

Team Gai were left staring, as well as the majority of the other chuunin hopefuls. "I don't think their normal." Tenten stated, looking over to Neji, who nodded in agreement. Their other teammate, Lee, the one in the green jumpsuit snuck off quietly, shocking really, as he is…..quite expressive.

--

"Hey you! With the dark eyes! Stop and fight me!" a voice cried loudly from the balcony. Team seven stopped and stared up at the green spandex wearing boy. Lee jumped down and bowed to the Uchiha, "You, one who has gained the affections and praise of many people, as well as Sakura-chan" he put in a woeful look in Sakura's direction, "are worthy of being my rival! I, Rock Lee, shall defeat you and finally show that hard work can beat genius!" he shouted, posing in some sort of sailor moon-like pose.

Sasuke blinked and deadpanned, "No."

Lee jumped, "What?! Why not?!" he was chagrined.

Sasuke snorted, moving a pace back from the frightening boy, "The exam is in ten minutes, we'll just have to fight afterwards. Now get away!" Sasuke batted at Lee's Puppy-eyes, feeling slightly sickened. Naruto saved his teammate, getting into Lee's personal space and examining his large eyes.

"Ahh!" Lee beamed, "and who are you! I saw your fantastic display of youthfulness earlier! Tell me little one, did you achieve that skill on your own or was it given to you?!" Lee stared at Naruto expectantly, not even caring that the blonde was staring thorough him at something else.

Naruto 'hmm'ed, "You smell like coconut oil and turtles. And spandex," Naruto's nose scrunched, "You scare me." he danced away form the suddenly despondent genin. Sakura took pity on him and approached, interrupting his mumblings about 'hipness' and 'eternal rivals'.

She patted his back, "Its okay Lee, their always like that. But they do like to fight, so give it time and…" She choked off, staring in utter horror at him.

At hearing her voice and touch, Lee's smile would scare away small children, his tearing, loving eyes were crying rivers of joy, and he clutched her hand to his chest. "Oh Sakura-chan! My beautiful princess!, " Lee cried joyfully, "I knew you loved me! Now, let me sweep you off your feet and—" he continued, but I think I shall spare you that fate.

One could see Sakura's hair standing on end.

Pitying her, Sasuke grabbed her and tore her away from the still happily crying Lee, running with Naruto around some corners until they found themselves in front of the door to the exam.

Someone was waiting for them, his nose stuck in a book.

"Kashi-sensei-kun!" Naruto cried, bounding forward to tackle the man in a hug.

Kakashi chuckled, curling an arm possessively around the thin shoulders, "Yo, Ruto-kun." He looked up, his eyes gleaming amusedly, "Suke-chan, Kura-kun." He started to tease, "What was that I heard about undying love Sakura? Sounds like you found an admirer." Sakura shivered and glared at him, promising painful things.

Kakashi looked down at the small blonde boy still holding onto him, one hand playing with a pocket flap. It was endearing how the boy could get so much happiness and entertainment form the smallest of things.

"Naruto-kun," the boy looked up, his blue eyes questioning, "Ready for the exam? It's a team effort, so you all have to work together." He included Sasuke and Sakura in this, serious as he could be.

The three of them nodded, Kakashi eye-smiling back. He squeezed Naruto's shoulder and let go saying, "Well, you guys better get in there, your gonna be late in…..a minute." He looked at his watch. Sakura and Sasuke traded looks with Naruto and both smirked at Kakashi, as if they knew something he didn't.

As they turned to enter the room, Naruto stayed and stared up at Kakashi seriously. Kakashi blinked and was about to tell the boy to go when he was suddenly interrupted. Naruto reached up, grasped the jounin's collar with strong hands and pulled his head down to his level, nearly bending the man in half. Even before Kakashi could get embarrassed by the situation, Naruto kissed the man fully on the lips through his mask.

Kakashi froze up; he could feel the softness of those lips against his, the blonde's face was so close, so close. Naruto had kept his eyes open; staring into Kakashi's shocked one with amusement twinkling in his eyes. He was entertained by the jounin's surprise.

The little brat.

As soon as it started, it ended and Kakashi was faced with an absolutely serious and solemn Naruto. It was silent until the blonde said simply, "I like you." Double eye smiled, let go of the man and hopped in the room, closing the door softly behind him. Kakashi was left hanging, staring at the wood surface, trying to decide on what he was feeling.

Utter joy, amusement, shock, worry, self disgust, absolute happiness.

He settled on all of them and disappeared with a few hand seals, appearing in the jounin's lounge, where they could watch the genins in the exam through tiny video cameras stationed everywhere in the room.

Asuma looked at him strangely, the familiar cigarette in his mouth, "Where've you been Kakashi?" Kakashi answered while flipping his book out, "Encouraging my team." Asuma grunted, turning back to Kurenai. Kakashi sighed, pretending to read his book, but was searching the monitors for a familiar blonde head.

He couldn't get the brat out of his mind.

Fuck.

--

"SASUKE-KUN!!" came a screech immediately when the Uchiha set foot in the room. Sasuke paled, stepping hurriedly behind Sakura, who stood there smirking. Ino skidded to a stop in her rampage to the boy, looking surprised.

"Sakura?! Sasuke-kun?" Sakura just snickered, Sasuke peered his head out form behind her, the hat hanging precariously. Ino shot a glare to the pink haired girl and a sweet smile at the Uchiha, "Why don't you come out form behind forehead girl Sasuke-kun? I won't hurt yoouu." She batted her eyelashes. Sasuke snorted, "I'll come out only if you don't touch me." Ino pouted but nodded all the same.

Shikamaru and Chouji followed behind their teammate's path, nodded politely to the other two. Shikamaru noticed something, "Where's your other teammate?" his question was answered when effeminate arms slid from behind around Sasuke's neck, and Naruto pressed his cheek against the Uchiha's, staring with his big blue eyes at the Nara. Ino gaped at the display, and at Sasuke's non-reaction.

Shikamaru locked gazes with him and his eyes widened, suddenly sporting a blush. Sakura and Sasuke exchanged amused glances.

"This is Naruto; he joined the Team on the last day of the Academy. He had been travelling with his parents since he was six." Sakura explained, taking Naruto off Sasuke's back and setting him between them, smiling to herself at his trust in her. Naruto himself was examining the new arrivals coming their way.

Team 8.

"Yo! Uchiha man, how you doing?!" Kiba boomed, "and what is that on your head," he blinked stupidly at the green hat. Sasuke crossed his arms and turned his face away, huffing. Naruto giggled at that and attracted the Inuzuka's attention.

"Ohhh….and who is this?" Kiba leered, bending to look into the blondes face. He was sniffing his scent, and Naruto treated him the same, pressing his face close enough and delicately sniffing around his hair and cheeks. Kiba smiled wolfishly and turned to Sakura, "I like him!"

Hinata came up behind him timidly, holding a hand out to the blonde boy, "H-hello, my name is Hinata." Naruto took her hand without a word, staring in undisguised awe at her eyes and hair. He reached a hand and fingered a couple locks, enjoying the silky feel. Hinata 'eep'ed and blushed, looking to Sakura for help. The pink haired girl smiled and took Naruto's hand away, winking at the girl. She just blushed further, poking her fingers together.

Shino was silent, but he did raise an eyebrow at Naruto. Suddenly not so shy, Naruto took turns examining every person in the Rookie Nine, stopping to sniff hair and look into eyes. Many were put off by his behavior, but a couple looks at the smiling Sakura and smirking Sasuke and they dealt with it.

Kiba, naturally a loud person was trying to comfort himself and the rest of them by being loud and confident, "We're all gonna breeze through this!" he grinned, swinging an affectionate arm around Hinata's shoulders, "Ain't that right guys?" Most just gave him an amused look, Naruto just pulled on his hair, poking at his fangs and claws. Kiba eyed him, smirking, raising a hand to rustle the blonde hair.

Chuckling he turned to Sakura, "He's cute." Sakura giggled and was about to answer when she was interrupted by an older, polite voice.

"You guys should be quiet." He was tall, about 18, and wore thin glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. White hair was tied into a pony tail, and he wore…purple?

Ino glared at him, "Why should we do that?"

The boy smirked at her and pointed to the crowded room of genins, "Cause they're already hating you rookies." The others turned to regard the rest of the room, quailing when they noticed the killing intent focused upon them. Fearfully they clustered tighter together, peering out at the older and more experienced genins glaring at them.

Eventually, Sasuke got sick of the rookie's fear and bit out, "That's it! ….Naruto," the blonde looked at him curiously, "Smile at them, please."

What? The rest of the rookies looked at the Uchiha like he was stupid or something. But Naruto understood what he wanted and moved forward to get the attention. Then, he smiled. Sadistic, blood lusting killer intent blasted at the entirety of the room, freezing most in their tracks with unabridged fear for their lives.

It was pressuring, holding them down, beating them, ripping them apart, raping them, killing them…

Then it stopped, and all they were looking at was an oddly dressed blue eyed blonde, staring with odd eyes at them, smiling a small angelic smile. They all turned away, shaking, deciding within the very depths of their souls to STAY AWAY!!

Gaara on the other hand was nearly salivating at the strength of the blonde, his mother was whimpering piteously.

Naruto hadn't aimed the smile behind him, so the rookie nine were completely unharmed. All they felt was a displacement of air, and the smell of a couple genin's piss. Kiba blinked and whistled lowly. Shikamaru eyed the blonde again, looking out over the terrified room, mumbling once, "Troublesome."

Sakura and Sasuke shared a secret smile, patting Naruto's shoulders and hair. They had discovered that the blonde absolutely loved any physical contact. Now even the cold-hearted Sasuke indulged the blonde his little pats and pets.

A poof at the front of the room attracted them, and a great voice boomed out, "ALRIGHT BRATS! SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP!" Ibiki appeared, glaring in his entire Scarface visage. His imposing figure and scowl prompted the many genins to get to their seats quickly.

All except one. And of course you know who that is.

"Wooooaaa Mister, these musta hurt!" Naruto was perched on Ibiki's wide shoulder, fingering the scars on his face with unconcealed amazement.

Ibiki growled at him, grabbing the back of his robe and flinging him away, "To your seat." He barked.

Naruto landed on his feet nimbly, he sniffed, "Well, if you're gonna be that way about it." and ran off to a seat, across the room from Sasuke and in front of Sakura by about three rows. Oh, he was beside the Hyuuga girl, Hinata.

He double eye smiled at her, before trying to pay attention to the burly man in front of them.

"The first part of the exam is written, you will have 45 minu…"

Naruto droned the rest out, deciding to stare at the silent people on the edge of his vision. Floating, shadowy and silent, they had been there his whole life. They never talked, they never moved into his line of sight, but if he unfocused his eyes he felt he could see them better.

A sheet of paper was placed in front of him, and he looked down at the scrawled word problems, equations and history questions with mild curiosity. Becoming bored quickly of trying to complete them in his head, Naruto picked up his pencil and began to draw.

Within short minutes, there were little caricatures of his friends, Momma, Daddy, Kakashi-kun, Kura-kun, Suke-chan…

Oh look, a small Kyuubi, collapsed on the ground and snoring, his tails rolled out and twitching in his sleep. He was just putting the finishing touches to Kakashi's mask, inwardly debating whether or not to draw a big picture of Ibiki's face when something distracted him. It was a bug, buzzing around, hovering over one person and then moving on to another.

Naruto watched it, idly biting the end of his pencil. A flash of light gathered his attention; mirrors on the ceiling were being moved with small strings, almost invisible. They led down to that bun haired girl, Tenten. Naruto smiled. Akamaru barked very quietly, whimpering and just making small noises. Kiba seemed to be listening to the dog, writing down something after every bark. Hinata whispered something and Naruto smiled at the veins around her eyes.

She blushed when she noticed his interest in her eyes, shrinking down a bit and hiding behind her hair.

Naruto giggled; a shockingly loud sound in the tense silence. Ibiki glared at the blonde, but he just smiled sweetly and waved, causing a vein to twitch in the man's forehead. Pointedly, he looked away form the boy, crossing his arms and layering another subtle level of pressure on the chuunin hopefuls. Several teams were caught cheating and were thrown out, sometimes physically by the examiners lining the walls.

Minutes passed, tension ran high, it came to the end of the 45 minute mark. So Ibiki gave a shout to stop and put down your pencils.

"Alright! It's time for the tenth question, but first…" he glared, "a couple more rules?"

Somebody shouted from the back, "What do you mean more?! That's unfair!" Ibiki zeroed in on the poor sod, leveling his killing intent straight at him.

"Well too bad, I'm your examiner this year, and you better just sit down and take it you pathetic excuse." He glared at the room, making known that the sentiment counted on everyone.

"First, whatever you teammates decide on the tenth question, immediately affects the team. If one person fails, the entire team fails," some shouts of protest were heard, before Ibiki cut them off with a well placed high dose of KI, "Second, if you take the question and get it wrong, then you will never compete in the chuunin exams."

Temari, the sand girl spoke up, "at least…until the next exam in six months, right?" Ibiki smiled, something rather frightening and caused many to shiver.

"No, not ever." This caused an uproar. To never again compete and become chuunin? To never move up in the ranks, their ninja careers would be considered over. Somebody shouted at Ibiki angrily, "You can't do that!"

"I CAN!" Ibiki shouted, settling them down immediately, several looked like they were about to cry, "I am your examiner this year, now, decide if you want to risk taking the tenth question or not. If one person refuses, the entire team leaves and you can take the exam next time, when I'm not an examiner. Remember, if you get the tenth question wrong…" Ibiki left it as is, frightening the genins into utter silence.

Nobody moved, nobody gave up first. The silence thickened, nearly strangling them until…

"Sorry guys," a defeated genin stood up, he was average looking, but his teammates rose with him, also defeated and left. Most probably, the guy was a plant, but he did his job.

People were standing up, leaving, some teammates were angry, others were sad. It too maybe five minutes, over half the room was gone, leaving maybe 40 or 50 teams left. It was still uncomfortable, people were frightened, and should they give up? Sakura and Hinata were both having their doubts, Sasuke and Neji were too proud, Tenten and Temari had an inkling as to why this was happening, Kiba was worried but confident, Gaara and Shino were unreadable, Team ten were all tense, looking at teach other…..and Naruto.

Naruto was fighting back a sneeze.

He lost.

"ACHOO!" he sniffed, rubbing his nose. That one was a doozy.

With his tension abruptly gone, Ibiki lost his hold over the genins; they all turned to stare at the innocent blonde. Said boy was wide-eyed, blinking at them and rubbing his nose. Giving a victory sign, Naruto double eye smiled and giggled.

--

The jounin lounge was silent, they were all looking at the screens, trying to understand how a green genin was able to shrug off and disrupt Ibiki, the head of torture and interrogation's killing intent…with a sneeze?!

Kakashi's chuckling was easily heard, but his small sentence was hard to hear; only Kurenai and Asuma heard him mumble quietly, "That's my little blonde brat." Kurenai was confused and looked to Asuma. He had a mysterious smile on his face, his eyes twinkling knowingly at the Hatake. The red eyed woman began to get a strange feeling in the back of her mind, and she didn't know if she liked it.

The jounin's, Anbu and Sannin, not to mention the Hokage all started to talk about the new developments. Somebody unknown spoke up over the crowd, "Who's the next examiner?"

Kakashi came back to earth when he felt a womanly body pressing uncomfortably to his side, and a tongue seductively licking his outer ear. Glaring over with his one eye he said, "Get off me Anko and answer the man's question."

The purple haired snake mistress smirked at him and stayed put, gathering the room's attention with her answer to the unknown man. "That would be me, taking them to the Forest of Death I am," she smiled sadistically, causing many to shiver.

Kakashi tried to pry her arms off his shoulders, pushing at her stomach to her legs _off of him_. He didn't know why she kept this up, she had been chasing his tail for a year now, amubshign him in alleyways, on rooftops. At the start he was just amused, now he was slightly sickened.

"Anko, let go!" he growled at her, silver brows drawn down. She was surprised by his vehemence, until she smiled wickedly again. She started to rub herself harder against him, unmindful of the roomful of people watching. Several men were gaping and fighting off something embarrassing happening in their pants.

"Awe but Kaka-kun," she whined, "I know you want it! Lets just go and take care of important business." Her hand started to wander downwards before he grabbed it and literally ripped her off. He danced away, glaring at her and straightening his clothes.

Several people snickered, but he didn't deign them a response, so he put his book away, ruffled his hair and tugged on his jacket.

Anko was being devious, "Kaka-kun, I know you want me, why not just give in, hmm?" she raised an eyebrow. Having had enough, Kakashi growled at her again.

"For one, stop calling me Kakashi, it fucking means dog shit, and for second…" he narrowed his eyes at her and crossed his arms, looking her up and down, "I like men."

There was silence, the rest of the room watching as this drama played out. It was nearly a soap opera.

Anko gaped at him before suspiciously glaring, "no you don't, you read those books?"

Kakashi snorted, "I lie."

Anko looked at him, aghast, "But, but…" she was at a loss, "what about these!!" she grabbed her chest, wiggling her breasts generously in his direction.

Kakashi backed away a step and leveled an angry finger at her D-cup breasts, "Ew."

She gasped and held them with her arms, as if protecting them from his evil finger, "No! It's not true!" she cried. The audience's head were bobbing back and forth, like a tennis match.

Kakashi nodded at her, rather self importantly, he was enjoying this a bit too much, "I say 'ew' to those," he pointed again at her chest, "And to that." He leveled it lower to her womanly parts.

The snake lady looked a little injured, staring reproachfully down to her womanly parts, "Are you sure?" she asked, giving a glance down to his manly parts.

He nodded crossing his arms, "Penis." he was resolute. Once you get a dose of a small little blonde boy, you never go back. (that was pedophilic.)

Anko seemed to accept it reluctantly before realizing something, "I'm gonna be late for the kiddies!" and poofed away, leaving a silent room and a relieved Hatake. It burst into chaos, men were laughing uproariously, shouting at Kakashi and each other. Many women were either pouting or glaring obviously disappointed by this little piece of info of their beloved Kakashi.

Asuma clapped a hand to the silver haired man's shoulder, "Hah! I knew it! Now Genma owes me twenty bucks." Kakashi raised an eyebrow at him and he just smiled. Kurenai stood in the background, frowning. She had a little crush on the Hatake, but the small feeling in the back of her mind had grown again into an idea. It wasn't finished, nor was if complete, but it made sense, if a little.

Yuuhi Kurenai was a rather jealous woman, and if what she was beginning to believe was true, then there was going to be fire.

--

Ibiki had dropped the bomb, talking about the duties of a chuunin to make difficult choices, and to get the necessary information for the mission. He had even taken off his bandana to show them the rewards of a failed mission. Screw holes and gouges. Horrific torture, but Naruto leaned forward to get a better look.

Then some of the better students noticed an incoming projectile from the window, some were startled their feet when the window busted open and a woman tumbled in. she threw some kunai's and stuck a big sign across the room saying, your next examiner! Mitarashi Anko!

"Now! Don't start celebrating! You're not done yet!" she cried exuberantly, standing in the traditional 'Banzai!' position.

You could have heard a pin drop, before Ibiki's un-amused voice came from behind the sheet, "Gauge the atmosphere. You're early Anko."

Anko looked at the amount of genins sitting in their seats, "21 Teams, not bad not bad, oh well, I'll cut them in half by the end of it." she grinned wickedly, almsot equally as scary as Ibiki, "Come on kiddies! Follow me to training area 44!" She bounced out of the window she came in.

Nobody moved.

With a sigh, Sasuke stood and motioned to his teammates. Sakura followed and joined him I the center of the room, Naruto stood onto the desks and flickered around until he landed on Sasuke's back.

"I like her! I like her alot!" he grinned, causing several others in the room to look at him oddly.

Sakura sighed, defeated, "Yes, you would."

--

Staring up a the huge trees, a densely forested death trap known as shockingly, "The Forest of Death" two thirds of team seven sighed in unison. In their hands they held a contract saying that if they died in there, which was highly probable, the village couldn't be blamed. Not to mention the several angry teams surrounding them, all hoping to fight and probably kill them to get their scroll.

Of course, Naruto had to classify the situation, "I _really_ like her!"

--

And it is ended! Tell me what you think! It's really long, the chuunin chapters usually are. So….next is the Forest of Death…..GOODY

Review please!!!!

Honestly…..review.


	7. Chapter 7

To: Everyone who reviewed- THANKS! Um point one: thank you for liking my fic -.-;; point two: whatever is happening with Kurenai…MUAHAHAH you will have to wait. Thanks for saying Purgatory is funny, though I think I need to steer away from the silly side and get a bit more serious, ne? FORGIVE ME THE SPELLING MISTAKES!!! You should all know by now that grammar and spelling isn't really my forte.

To: TheOtaku Akatsuki: I guess you could say Sasuke and Sakura are his temporary parents…I like to think of them as older brother and sister if you get me…cuz they look after him as such. :)

To: Narukashi666: no I do not hate you hahaha, you're like, my most avid fan lool. CONGRADULATIONS! YOU HAVE WON A PRIZE! Its…a cookie.

--

Purgatory

Chapter Seven

--

"Alright, when we go in, I want Sakura to make them think we're not there, me an' Naruto will go in and knock them out. Can you do that Sakura?" Sasuke laid the plan, looking over to the pink haired girl. Said girl nodded, already going through the hand seals in her mind for the genjutsu.

Naruto nodded too, Spitz still nestled in his hair. For a second Sasuke thought the fox had nodded as well…maybe he was seeing things.

It went well. The Ame team they were trailing didn't know what hit them; they were all down within four seconds. Quite luckily Sasuke found a heaven scroll, a match to their earth. Jumping off, they made their way directly to the tower jumping through trees, dodging other teams, maybe even picking some off if they felt like it.

It was simple, so easy. So, obviously, something had to go wrong.

The wind ripped Sakura into a tree, Sasuke managed to stay put with chakra but Naruto was caught in mid-air and he was sent crashing through the forest.

"Naruto!" Sakura screamed against the wind, trading looks with Sasuke.

Within minutes the wind let up, but Sasuke and Sakura didn't stick around to see who it was that attacked them, instead they shot off into the forest after their teammate. Whoever had done the jutsu was powerful, the chakra just lacing the wind was nearly half of their reserves, without a doubt the user's chakra was far higher than what they were prepared to deal with.

When Orochimaru came upon the clearing, he did not find the Uchiha. No matter, it was just a small delay. His golden eyes shone as he jumped after them, pursuing after his prize.

--

Naruto grunted when he landed. Well, he didn't really land…he bounced a couple times, rolled along the floor until he ran up into a tree.

"Owww." He groaned, massaging his back. He got to his feet and looked around. He felt very alone, the forest was dark, the moss covering the trees and ground blanketed every sound he made. There wasn't even sunlight, just a muted green color.

'**Eheheheheheh!'** Kyuubi giggled, '**You had better turn around. Ever heard of the little boy who cried SNAKE!'** the demon yelled, and Naruto suddenly noticed the gigantic, molten purple snake looming high above him. How he missed it, even he didn't know. The snake reared back and Naruto suddenly felt the sense of something being off. He couldn't feel the snake there.

But it was so obviously there. Hmm…confounding.

OH! He could see the snake and hear it but not sense its presence, because it is summoned! Naruto laughed gleefully, dispatching the poor creature with a well placed drop kick and chakra smash. He giggled when the gigantic snake poofed up in smoke, disappearing like it was never there. So, who had the contract for snakes? Well, the nice pretty exam lady did, and…

Naruto's eyes darkened and his teeth lengthened. Snake-man.

He heard trees crack and turned just as Sasuke and Sakura landed in his clearing. Sasuke looked him over one and then turned to peer back the way they had come. Sakura grabbed the blonde arms and held him still for a look over and then crushed him to her chest. Sasuke said, "We have to keep moving, there's a guy behind us far beyond Genin capability."

The other two nodded and the three jumped off, racing to the tree canopies with deft feet and quick movements. Moving along quickly, as fast as safely possible the team passed over several teams, never once slowing or stopping. Yet it was in vain, when nearly just three quarters to the tower, only an hours travel left and they were halted in their places by a wave of devastating killing intent.

The wave even stopped Naruto in his tracks, though not out of fear. Kanashibari no jutsu pins the victim with well aimed intent, scaring them enough to stiffen their muscles. Naruto couldn't move, but his chakra could.

When a Kusa nin jumped out of the trees and landed before them, a sickening smirk on her face, Naruto snarled and struck, a whip of red chakra lashing out and slicing where the nin had been standing. This broke her concentration and the kanashibari fell, leaving Sasuke and Sakura to move again.

The team huddled on one branch, backs facing each other to watch the woman stalk them.

"How cute," the woman smiled slimily, "three little genin. Looks like I caught up to you, Sasuke-kun." The woman smiled and licked her lips.

"Who are you?" Sasuke growled, taking a kunai and holding it steady in front of him.

"You would know me as…" the woman took a hold of her face and pulled it off, "Orochimaru." Golden eyes grinned maliciously.

Naruto snarled again, "Kill him, betrayer, traitor, fiend." His eyes were dangerously cold, blue chips of glacier focused solely on the Konoha missing nin.

"You think you can kill me? Kyuubi child?" at the genin's surprise he laughed, "ah yes, I know of you. Tsunade and Jiraiya's little pet project." Naruto growled at the title, flexing his fingers. Sasuke on the other hand had a hand behind his back, signaling the other two to his plan. Sakura go left, Naruto fall from above and he would go left, strike to kill.

They burst into motion, Naruto flickering confusingly here and there to distract the man while Sasuke and Sakura sprinted into position, converging form the sides onto the pale man. Sakura threw some poisoned tipped senbon, herding the man forward into Naruto's sudden kick. The blonde materialized in front of the pale man, kicking his squarely in the stomach and sending his flying straight towards Sasuke.

The Uchiha did some nifty wire work and cut Orochimaru straight into a tree side, not a heartbeat later blowing the entire tree on fire. The three stood together peering straight into the fire, hoping that somehow they actually got him, although the chance was slim.

They were proven wrong when all was left was clay mud, baked onto the side of the burnt tree. Orochimaru appeared in their formation, solidly kicking Sakura into a nearby branch. She cried out in pain, several of her ribs breaking and putting her out of commission for a while until she could fix them.

Sasuke was thrown backwards and Naruto flickered away before the man could touch him. Orochimaru grinned, "That was a nice one, too bad it didn't work. Sad, the pick haired bitch didn't die, oh well. That will change." He chuckled, watching as his words affected the both of them.

Naruto growled lowly, crouching and siphoning a bit of Kyuubi's chakra into his veins, lengthening his claws and reddening his eyes. Kakashi told him he couldn't take form the fox unless it was a dire situation, by Naruto's reckoning. It was a dire situation. Sasuke turned on his Sharingan, anger sparking another comma into his left eye, balancing the two.

Orochimaru licked his lips at the sight of the doujutsu, saying, "Sasuke-kun, what beautiful eyes. I will have them as my own, as I will have you little Uchiha." Sasuke felt a bit of himself shake at the man's words.

Naruto roared and flickered to Orochimaru's side, punching a good one on his cheek. "You won't touch him!" Naruto raged, grabbing the man's arms as he was flung away, pulling him back for another kick. Orochimaru grabbed his foot and pulled him into his body, pinning the boy's arms and legs with his own.

"Fiery. Maybe' I'll bring you along. One for my body, one for my bed." Orochimaru stretched out his long tongue, ignoring Naruto's struggles and licked to boys cheek, hands moving down to grab his lithe butt underneath the white kimono. Naruto roared into his face, thinking only, '_Not silver not silver not silver not silver, kill him, kill him, he should die, _**I HATE SNAKES!"**

Naruto ripped himself free, propelling Orochimaru back and into Sasuke's waiting fire ball. Naruto fought Kyuubi's instincts back, falling to one knee to keep the fox from overcoming his consciousness.

'**What a bastard, let me kill him for touching us so, let me kill him for silver. Silver will love us for killing him, kill him rip, tear, kill, blood. Kill them all, feel the anger, feel the blood, blood, blood…'** the fox ranted on.

Naruto panted, watching with red eyes as Sasuke fought the pale man alone, the blonde unable to move because of the fox's demands.

Sasuke himself was having a hard time; he knew the man was toying with him, so why didn't he finish it? Orochimaru pinned him again with his killing intent, Sasuke growled within his mind because of his inability to move. Orochimaru stalked closer, aware of Naruto's movement behind him.

With quick hand signs the snake man lengthened his neck, bit Sasuke's shoulder and stretched back smiling sickeningly like the gross fuck he was, "You will come to find me Sasuke. Whether it is of your own decision or mine, you will come to me for the power you desire." Those words would haunt the Uchiha for the rest of his life.

Naruto saw red; the snake man had marked the blonde's family, the blonde's territory. The snake would pay. Roaring he flickered behind the man, dodging at the last second and flipping around to his front to swipe with his claws. Grinning as the lengthened claws sliced through flesh, Naruto danced away, ready for another attack.

Orochimaru's tongue shot out, wrapping around the blonde, pinning his arms and legs in. He was helpless, and that burned more fiercely than a katon jutsu.

"Little baby fox. So delicious," Orochimaru ran a hand down Naruto's chest, sliding his white kimono out of the way. Naruto struggled harder, straining his neck to get a bite at the man's face, "So nice, so pretty. Can't have you messing with Sasuke-kun, now can I? I guess I'll have to find you when I have Sasuke-kun, maybe rip you away from whomever you have already hmm? A certain silver haired jounin I think?" Naruto snarled at him, the red chakra leaking faster and rougher, hot enough to burn the pale man's face.

With a chuckle, Orochimaru slammed his fingers into the blonde's stomach.

"Goodnight little fox, until I come for you and Sasuke-kun."

Then, Naruto saw black.

Seconds later, Sakura appeared this side, holding her barely healed ribs and growled to herself in anger and fear. Her teammates had been thrashed by one of the Sannin, while she had only stood by and watched. She was useless, she had not improved. Now she was alone with two unconscious teammates, both who seemed to be in a whole lot of pain in a forest full of people out for their blood.

Fuck.

--

He was alone, it was dark, it was a sewer and it was wet. He knew where he was.

"Hello Kyuubi."

The great beast grinned down at him, **'Eve…in…itt…one.'** It seemed to notice its inability to speak complete sentences and grimaced, great red eyes turning to the bars of his cage and glaring in distaste at the lining of purple chakra.

Naruto frowned, he noticed the chakra too. There was some sort of sheen across the bars surface as well; obviously it was what was impairing Kyuubi's ability to talk to him. Strange. Naruto gave a jaunty wave to the demon, noticing its anger at being cut off from its host and left the giant chamber. He began wandering down the sewer halls, heading towards a peculiar feeling at the other end of the hall. He passed by doors of different sizes and colors.

There was a purple one, of medium height with a spiked door knob. A large yellow one that seemed to glow in utter joy, a small one adjacent from it, a padlock hanging from the knob and upon closer inspection had a timer on it, four months and twenty days. A litter further down, the closest to the peculiar white feeling at the end was a tall but skinny door, in the shape of a coffin. There were lager spikes on the doorknob, and huge heavy looking chains bolted across it, the chains glowed with an eerie white looks and had a peculiar smell. (AN: if you get what I'm talking about with these then I congratulate you.)

Obviously the coffin-like door was bad and the chains were good. Naruto didn't open any of them, all too aware of the consequences if he were lured into one of his many feelings or dreams.

Running along the walls and ceiling connecting the doors were many hundreds of blue lines, pulsing with chakra. They seemed to conduct the blue chakra in shafts, pipes all through the hallway and through the doors.

Naruto shook off the oddness and proceeded to skip merrily to the white feeling a the end, it was a soft light coming from the end of the hall, a white square that had the beginnings of a bad idea. Naruto didn't care, he was happy, the bastard of a demon fox that lived in his brain was not talking to him and for that he was eternally grateful. What was odd was Naruto felt particularly light and drowsy as he neared the white light.

Maybe the light was taking him back to Kura-kun and Suke-chan? To Kashi-sensei-kun! He entered the light without a second thought and within seconds of it over-riding his sense, the pain crashed down on his small form. Maybe it was a bad idea after all.

--

Sasuke had no idea where he was, but the pain the snake-freak had inflicted on him was gone. Obviously, he had passed out and was now dreaming, but did dreams usually feel so utterly real that he could feel himself and the floor beneath his feet? His breath came in visible puffs and he realized just how clod it was in the room.

Yes, it was a room, a black room with no windows or doors, just a black box he stood in, unable to get word out or to get word in. Turning, he screamed a couple times, "Naruto! Sakura! Wake up dammit!" he cursed to himself, he couldn't just leave them out there without anybody to protect them!

"Sasuke-kun." A voice whispered and he twisted around, a hand going down to an empty leg. When he noticed his lack of kunai pouch he growled and suddenly there was a kunai in his hand. It surprised him, but he was a bit more concerned about the creature that hadn't been there before. Before him curled a purple snake, its coiled length bigger than Sasuke's head. Its red eyes were peering creepily at him, emotionless.

"What do you want?"

The snake wired itself about, hovering its head in the freaky stillness all reptiles have the ability to do, "Sasuke-kun, you want power do you not?"

Sasuke just scowled more, gripping his imaginary kunai tighter.

"To kill him, the one who ruined your life? The one who took your family from you?" Sasuke stilled, the snake couldn't possibly know about…that could it?

"I can give you the power you want, the power to kill, destroy that man, your brother, Itachi." Sasuke felt an anger he hadn't felt so strongly in a long time bubble up in his throat. His features darkened and he could only see the emotionless eyes of his older brother, staring down at him. _'Pathetic'_ they said.

He gripped the kunai so hard it hurt, the anger, the hate was threatening to overcome him, he wanted to kill him, he wanted to kill Itachi. He needed the power to kill him, how could he get it?

"Take it Sasuke-kun, take the power you so righteously deserve." The snake whispered, a glowing ball of purple stuff hovering in front of the Uchiha. It didn't take longer than a second, some higher force pushed Sasuke's hand into it and then he knew no more.

--

Sasuke woke up first. The power, it over-whelmed him, he could feel it in every pore. He grinned laying down, turning his head over to see Sakura drowning some sound nin with a water jutsu. Standing up, Sasuke tried to contain his glee at the power rushing through him. Stepping out of the tree he started to chuckle, catching the attention of his teammate and the three sound nin. Looks like Sakura hadn't had enough energy to absolutely drown that nin.

From her battered state she seemed to have been fighting the three for a while and it was wearing down on her. Her hair had been cut loose, and now hung shorter that it had before, barely reaching past her chin. Cuts marred her face and her clothing were scuffled and dirty. However, the rage and determination in her eyes bespoke of how long she would have continued fighting the three. Her rage diminished into confusion and then fear when she caught sight of Sasuke standing under the tree.

"Sas_" "Sakura," he interrupted her, "Who did that to you? These three?" he regarded the three sound nins with disdain. Sakura didn't know what to say, so she settled on picking herself up from the ground and fussing over the nearly unconscious Rock Lee, unnoticed by Sasuke before.

Sasuke snorted and grinned over at the sound Nins, black marks flickering over his skin. Absolute evil poured off of him and the sound nins felt chills creep up their spines. "Y-yeah? Well what are you gonna do about it?!" Zaku said confidently, remembering what Kabuto said about Orochimaru's curse seal, and how it makes the wielder weak.

Sasuke just smirked….then he disappeared.

Zaku felt a boot in his back, and propelled forwards, opening his mouth to scream in pain. Before he landed there was a kunai in his gut, ripping out the side of his stomach. This time he really did scream, falling with a terrible crunch onto the dirt. Sasuke chuckled evilly and walked away towards Dosu, believing the boy done. Zaku, in a moment of great pain, stupidity and bravery, brought his arm up and channeled his chakra through the tubes in his arms.

"Zankuuha." He croaked.

The wind blast tore across the space towards Sasuke's back and hit the ground beneath his feet with a resounding boom. Dust was kicked up and obscured the view. Zaku grinned a bit, straightening up with an arm on his sliced stomach. "How was that you bas-"

Sasuke stood behind him, both wrists in hand, and a foot on his back. "I'm sorry," Sasuke said, almost jovially, "Were you trying to say something?"

--

Spitz was sniffling around his ear, that's what woke him. The little red fox whimpered and climbed inside the white robe, curling in a small fold of fabric, right above the boys heart. The little creature was surprisingly warm.

Naruto twitched, trying to open his eyes; he _hurt._ His body felt like it was on fire, every move he tried to make, his muscles conflicted with him, screaming against his wishes. The pain was centered on his stomach. The kyuubi seal. That was bad. He couldn't hear the fox in his head, couldn't even feel his presence. The blonde took a moment to enjoy the silence until his joy was interrupted by his teammates scream, "Sasuke! Stop!"

Oh dear, it seems there is some trouble.

Naruto fought to get up, nearly crying out in pain form just rolling over. Eventually, through stubbornness alone and a bit of chakra to help his limbs move, Naruto stumbled out from under the tree and into the clearing, taking in the nins and his teammates statuses.

Sakura was clutching Sasuke's arm to her chest, crying. There were creepy black marks flickering in his skin, receding back over his shoulder. Three sound nins lay on the dirt floor, only one conscious and staring in fear at Sasuke. It seemed one was dead, the female one had several kunai in her stomach and a shuriken in her forehead. One of the males was crumpled, bleeding on the ground with his arms in rather uncomfortable positions. The last member was trembling and trying to prop himself on his metal arm.

Strange.

"Hey, hey, Saku-kun, Sasu-chan. Am I late?" Naruto called out, leaning heavily against the tree, an arm across his stomach to put pressure on the burning pain. The two whipped their heads around, Sakura gasping at the pale shaking blonde. Something was hurting him, and it didn't seem to be the kyuubi.

"Naruto!" Sasuke and Sakura were by his side in an instant, Sasuke's hands were trembling as he hesitantly reached out. The Uchiha boy was sickened and shocked…how could he have lost himself so fully to the snake's power, why did he have to reach out for it? It was…consuming.

Naruto's knees buckled and he chuckled roughly, eyes un-focusing. So many shadows, dark shapes reaching out to him, their cold fingers drawing ever nearer. Kakashi….

Why was he thinking of Kakashi at a time like this? Naruto frowned, thinking off into space, ignoring the by play between the last remaining sound nin and his teammates. The silver haired man was by far the thing he thought about most, besides talking to Kyuubi that is. That jounin, Naruto envisioned his bare face in his mind and started to smile.

Kakashi was _his._

"Naruto, we should get to the tower. Can you run?" Sasuke asked, keeping his face to the side, afraid to look into his teammates eyes. Naruto hummed a little tune back, trying to stand straight. Whatever was burning him in the middle didn't let him stand to his full height and he slumped forward in a cringe. Sasuke swallowed heavily and put one of the blonde's arms around his neck, inwardly noting the loss of his green hat. It was probably blown off sometime during the….fight.

The one with Orochimaru or the one where he demolished the sound nins he didn't know.

Sakura was pale, flicking her eyes uncomfortably from Naruto to Sasuke, worry creasing her forehead. "Come on, lets get to Kakashi." The name sparked a reaction for Naruto, who had been sagging between them as they ran. The boy lifted his head and grinned lopsidedly, his blue eyes cloudy and looking at things unseen.

"Hn." Sasuke grunted in return, keeping his eyes on the path ahead.

--

"Toss the scrolls!" Sasuke cried just in time, a poof of smoke in front of them set the genin on edge, until it cleared to show their jounin instructor, eye smiling and cheerily waving.

"Kakashi sensei!" Sakura exclaimed in relief, putting away her kunai. Sasuke grunted and was standing stiffly, obviously trying not to fall over. Naruto was swaying dangerously, a lidded look in his eyes.

"What in gods name happened to you three?" Kakashi said, his happy demeanor disappearing in an instant. Naruto lifted his head and blinked at his sensei's voice. "Kashi?" and fell forward, losing the strength to hold himself up.

Kakashi was there before he reached the floor, kneeling and holding the blonde to his chest. Kakashi's exposed eye was serous and worried, he looked at Sakura for answers, as she was the only one who didn't seem completely dead on her feet. As Sakura started to explain the happenings and arrival of Orochimaru, Kakashi rubbed a hand on Naruto's back. The blonde was scrunched in, his face pressed hard into the jounin's neck.

The small boy was trembling in pain, and whether the boy wanted to or not tears soaked into Kakashi's vest. By the time Sakura finished the short, clipped report, Sasuke had already sunk to the ground, holding his head in his hands and Kakashi was beginning to feel a sense of dread in his stomach.

"Alright," Kakashi sighed, hiking Naruto higher, swinging the boys legs around his hips. With his leg arm he lifted Sasuke, ignoring the boys mumbled protests and with his right caught Sakura before she could collapse. The girl had been trying, but her stamina was still not up to par. With his three students in his arms, Kakashi was quite the spectacle, three 13 year olds hanging off him like leeches.

Deciding he didn't have the strength to teleport the four of them to the Hokage, Kakashi took the long way, walking up the tower to the meeting room where the Hokage and the rest of the jounin's were. They would need to hear this immediately, from all three students. To conserve his students' pride, he dodged around anybody that came their way, so they couldn't see the aspiring ninjas cuddled in his arms. He felt a movement between Naruto and him, so he stopped, frowning.

Spitz climbed out, looking a bit worse fo rwear and yipped at Kakashi, jumping up to nestle in the jounins hair. "I'm begininng to thingk you have an obsention with hair." Kakashi spoke to the fox, the creautre only looked at him.

Sasuke had fallen asleep, and Naruto was dazing, one hand up in the jounin's hair and the other clutching his shoulders. Sasuke whimpered, "Ka..Na…Sa….please." sweat broke out over his face; the seal was hurting him. Sakura heard him and reached an arm over, putting her hand on his back. A small gesture, but comforting.

Kakashi suddenly was overwhelmed with pride.

"Kakashi. Love you." Naruto whispered, low enough that not even Sakura heard. And the boy passed out, the pain too much for him. Kakashi did his best to ignore the itching of his eyes, simply clutching his children tighter.

Outside the conference room, Kakashi ignored the odd looks from the receptionist and set his students in the waiting chairs. Then he entered, noticing the presence of most of the jounin teachers, as well two of the three Sannin.

"Hokage-sama, important news." His eye was dark and his boy tenser and more dangerous than many have ever seen the laid-back man. Sandaime eyed him and nodded, steepling his hands together.

"Today during their second test my students had a run-in with Orochimaru" breathes were taken, and the Hokage remained still, "Sasuke was given a curse mark that I or I hope Jiraiya-sama intends to seal right away, and Naruto has been given a seal over the Kyuubi's, its seems to be causing him pain and cuts off his chakra." With his report done, Kakashi remained silent but kept his eye on the Hokage, sometimes drifting over to Naruto's impromptu parents.

"I see." Sarutobi said, contemplating.

"Orochimaru, what does he want with your team, and my son!" Tsunade growled, a dark look crossing her features. Jiraiya put a hand on her shoulder, but he had the same stony expression as the Hokage.

"We have to get the Uchiha boy sealed! Who knows what would happen if we left him as is!" that was Anko, looking serious and worried for once. Several others voiced their complaints, but the Sandaime and Kakashi stayed silent, listening and thinking.

When the hubbub died down and everyone was looking to the Hokage for decisions, the elderly man asked Kakashi, "They're outside yes?" Kakashi nodded, "They're asleep though."

"Bring them in please, If you can." Kakashi nodded and exited the room, smiling when he saw his students cuddled together, sleeping. He lifted them again, accidentally waking Sasuke and Naruto. Sakura stayed asleep, she was always the one to sleep the deepest.

"Mm. sensei, what's happening?" Sasuke was too sleepy to realize his position in the jounin's arms, so his pride and ego were safe for the moment. Naruto groaned and lifted his head, blinking at Kakashi. His deep blue eyes were clear, looking with odd understanding at both Sasuke and Kakashi. What he had figured out, Kakashi could only wonder.

"You guys need to talk to the Hokage, okay? Leave Sakura asleep." Kakashi spoke in deep, low undertones. Sasuke nodded, kicking his feet to be let down, but Naruto just gave a small smile, letting his head and body curl up in Kakashi's arms.

Kakashi entered the room, Sasuke trailing after him. He went over to a small bench and laid Sakura down on it, taking off his vest to cover her with. Naruto had a tight hold on his neck, and obviously didn't want down, so Kakashi stood with his students before the Hokage, the blonde in his arms and the dark haired at his side.

"Uchiha Sasuke…do you know what happened in the forest?" Sarutobi asked, ignoring for now, Naruto and Kakashi. Tsunade in the background, only had eyes for Naruto, they narrowed as she saw the copy nin hold onto her precious blonde, and she had to restrain herself from running over to take him.

Sasuke nodded wearily, but his gaze was clear and clever, "Hai Hokage-sama. We were attacked a couple days in by Orochimaru, he bit me and put a seal on my neck and put one of Naruto's stomach. His seal seems to alter his chakra pathways and it hurts him constantly, my seal…." He grimaced painfully, "my seal, when I get angry or worked up…it changes me. I become reckless, and…vicious. I want it to stop." He said this with such conviction it put most of Anko's worries aside. Most….but not all.

"Can you feel it in you? Asking to, telling you to do things?" he question was intense and her face serious. Sasuke was surprised, and then grim, he nodded.

Sarutobi sighed and leaned back, "I see. We will have Jiraiya or Kakashi to fix that then, before tomorrow. The preliminaries are tomorrow morning and it will take you a nights sleep to recover from the sealing. Can we see the seal please?" Sasuke nodded again and pulled down his shirt.

Jiraiya hummed and said, "Easy enough, will take a stronger seal than what Hatake knows though. You will come with me." and the white haired Sannin took Sasuke by the shoulder and led him out.

Sandaime turned to Naruto and Kakashi, "Now, let Naruto speak to us please Kakashi." Kakashi nodded to his leader, bending to let Naruto stand on his feet, whispering a few words in his ear when the blonde didn't let go of his neck right away.

Naruto blinked slowly at Sandaime, offering his mother a weak double eye smile. Tsunade held back a sob and tears, she knelt before the boy, "Hey there baby, can you tell me where it hurts? Where the snake man hurt you?"

Naruto undid the top of his kimono, pulling it off his shoulders and letting it fall around his hips for modesty. He then called some chakra so they could see the seal, and steadied himself by taking a hold of the hem of Kakashi's shirt. This action did not escape the eyes of Tsunade or the ever watching Kurenai.

"It's a simple five point seal Sensei," Tsunade said, standing up and turning, "I can remove it now." Sarutobi nodded to her and she turned back to her adopted son.

"Okay Naruto I'm going to get rid of this seal, but it's going to hurt a bit okay?" she looked at Kakashi, "be ready to catch him." Then without ceremony she rammed her fingers hard into the spots around the Kyuubi's seal, sending the boy backwards and removing the chakra suppressor.

Kakashi had the boy in his arms, crouching even before Tsunade had take he hand away; he was clutching the trembling boy tight and rubbing his back. Naruto grunted and stood up again, smiling at his mother.

'**I foooouunnd youuuu.' **The voice was sickly sweet, an imaginary smile promised misery and pain.

Naruto's smile dropped.

Kakashi nodded to Sandaime, he had been dismissed to take his students home, leaving the Hokage and his female student to discuss the rest of the chuunin exams, and what they were going to do about Orochimaru. Naruto dug his face into Kakashi's side the minute the man started towards Sakura to carry her home. Kakashi frowned and crouched, taking the boy off to the side so they weren't the center of attention.

"What is it?" he whispered, taking hold of the boys shoulders.

"I can hear him again." Naruto mumbled, looking at his feet, sad blue eyes filled with thoughts and voices.

Kakashi closed his eyes, Kyuubi. The creature was a curse, and he suddenly felt like going into the seal to give the fox what for, just for hurting his little Naruto. Kakashi cringed at that, 'his little Naruto'. The boy didn't belong to him; he was only 13 for god's sake! Kakashi felt sickened with himself for loving a child 15 years younger, but that didn't stop him from picking the boy up and cuddling him to his chest, "Shh, its okay. He will go away eventually." He mumbled, walking over to get Sakura.

"But will he?" Naruto whispered, sliding his arms around Kakashi's neck, and Kakashi had no answer.


	8. Chapter 8

YOU ALL HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH OF A STRUGGLE THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN and im not entirely talking about writers block.

Anyways, from popular demand, I tried to finish this one. Lets see how I did…

-Mayu

* * *

Purgatory

Chapter 8

* * *

"Before you can continue on to the third exam, we have to complete preliminary rounds in order to even out the numbers. Many more candidates have passed the first and second tests than in the first years and now we have to shorten the numbers by having a random tournament." Sarutobi said, standing before the genin in his Hokage robes and hat.

Several of the genin, namely Shikamaru, had disgusted reactions to this; they had to fight some more?

A jounin dropped from no-where, straightening to reveal a very sick looking man, "Allow me to explain them Hokage-sama," he coughed out, holding a pale hand to his sickly face.

"You will have to fight another genin not from you team due to this random chooser," he waved a hand to the electronic, "this is a no holds fight, you are allowed to take any means necessary to defeat your opponent. However, you are not allowed to kill anybody, as that would be a hell of a mess to clean off concrete." The genin dead-panned.

The electronic board started up, shuffling through names quicker than they could see and finally settled on Uchiha Sasuke and Akada Yoroi.

"Would everybody except the compartments please ascend to the stands?" Hayate coughed out, taking his place in the center.

The jounins went over to stand behind the Hokage and the sannin, the genins climbing the steps on either side to the stands. Sasuke stared down his opponent, emotionless as always.

Up in the stands, Naruto stood along side Sakura, fiddling with the sleeves of his kimono, Spitz nestled in his hair. "Go Sasuke-kun!" Sakura called down, a fist raised in the air. Ino sniffed at her, but she really couldn't bring herself to care.

Sasuke flicked a hand sign to her, 'Shh.' it said, and she snorted, crossing her arms and turning to smile at Naruto.

Naruto was frowning, an oddity in itself, and his hands were now wringing his sleeves with fervor. Sakura put a hand on his shoulder, frowning.

"Something's wrong," he muttered, "Something's not right." She couldn't really say anything to that so she let it be.

Sasuke had trouble with his opponent at the start, before using his genius brain figured it out and decide to beat him his way.

Using pure taijutsu, Sasuke raced around his opponent, faster than any spectator other than his teammates have ever seen him move before and kicked Yoroi straight into a wall. That ended the match pretty fast.

"Winner, Uchiha Sasuke."

"Next, Aburame Shino vs Zaku."

Sasuke joined his teammates, gaining a smile and a punch in the shoulder for his hand sign from Sakura. Naruto glanced at him, poked him in the side and smiled before turning back to his musing.

'**Be afraid, be afraid little kitling, things are coming, he is coming, they are coming for you.'** Kyuubi sounded amused, a grin ever present on his face.

'Who is coming? Who is coming?' Naruto asked

'**They will kill them and take you away, they will take me away, father Kitsune, your father Kitsune will die and it will be YOUR. FAULT.' **The fox started roaring, slamming against his cage bars.

Naruto winced, 'I'm sorry! Father Kitsune I'm sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. Please stop.'

But the fox rarely listens to Naruto anymore.

Shikamaru beat kin, using some rather impression brain skills, Tenten was thrashed by Temari, and Shino destroyed Zaku's arms. Then, names on the screen rolled past and came up with

Uzumaki Naruto vs. Inuzuka Kiba.

Kakashi poofed away immediately, suddenly appearing behind said blonde with his signature puff of smoke. Sakura and Sasuke smiled encouragingly at the blonde, ignoring for now, Kiba's hoots and wails.

"Good luck blonde brat." Kakashi eyes smiled and ruffled Naruto's hair, his hands fingering those soft blonde locks a few seconds longer than normal. Naruto looked up at him and smiled, nodding once and leaving over the railing without a word. Kakashi frowned, "What's wrong with him?" he mused, asking Sakura and Sasuke without making his mask move.

"Don't know, he's concerned about something though." Sakura answered, Sasuke grunting with her.

Naruto was standing in front of Kiba, one hand holding the newly awoke Spitz, the other petting him slowly. Kiba was standing confidently, Akamaru by his feet and a smirk on his face, "Don' expect me to go easy on you since your cute." He boasted, grinning a cocky grin.

Naruto giggled femininely, and set Spitz on the floor, in a burst of fire, the small cute little creature grew to reach Naruto's mid-thigh, grew another tail and was now sporting drooling fangs and angry red eyes.

People gasped, but Naruto really couldn't care less. Akamaru seemed a bit less sure of himself.

"Alright, Begin!" Hayate jumped back, just as Kiba started to charge. Naruto didn't move, looking through narrowed eyes at the incoming genin.

"This will end it!" Kiba cried, spinning himself, "Gatsuuga!"

Naruto watching the spinning boy approach him until the very last second, flickering away to stand where Kiba hand started a millisecond before Kiba hit him.

Spitz streaked by, after a white streak and disappeared off to the back, keeping Akamaru busy. Naruto, the instant Kiba landed, ran a couple steps, jumped and flickered above Kia, bringing a drop-kick that looked a lot like his mother's taijutsu down on the bestial boy's head. Kiba smelled him at the last instant, blocking and skidding back, dust rising form his shoes.

Naruto giggled, leaning forward, with an arm behind his back, the other coming up to cover his mouth.

"Woops, did you miss? I'm sorry," he flickered in front of Kiba's face, "Lets try again!" and delivered a vicious left hook to the boy's face. Kiba wasn't fast enough to dodge this time, and flew back. Naruto laughed again, and flickered to god knows where.

Kiba panted, trying to find a scent of the boy. Breathing on his neck caused him to jump away and turn. Red eyes glared at him in hunger before they disappeared into blue.

Up in the stands, Kakashi hadn't opened his book and stood holding it, a worried eye trained on Naruto. "He's loosing control, Sakura," the pink-haired girl looked at him, "Did Naruto take his pills in the forest?" Sakura thought for a moment before her eyes widened significantly. That was all the answer he needed.

"Time!" he yelled down to Hayate, and appeared down in the arena.

"Kakashi, you know this is grounds for disqualification?" Hayate glared, his sickly face scowling in annoyance.

Kakashi caught Naruto before he could barrel roll into Kiba's stumbling stomach, the dog-like boy was started to cough up blood.

"I'm sure the Hokage will agree with this, just gotta help Naruto with his pills." A quick glance to the platform showed the Hokage nodding to the silver-haired jounin, Tsunade standing directly behind him, looking worried.

Naruto slumped in his arms, gripping his head and letting out a keening wail. "Kashi, he's screaming…so loud…" he whimpered, turning to press his face into Kakashi's shoulder and clutching his shoulders tightly. While Kakashi would normally enjoy this kind of thing coming from the young blonde, he felt it was rather exposed…especially with Kurenai's harsh red eyes glaring into their forms from a few yards away where she tended Kiba.

Kakashi slid a hand between them and began searching for the bottles of pills he knew were there, he also noticed how Kurenai's gaze became much…much…sharper and felt himself begin to sweat. A thought travelled through his head, a feeling of dread and despair. If she tried to take his Naruto away he would…what would he do? Technically, she was in the right.

"Naruto-kun, come on, where's your pills?" he murmured quietly, lovingly.

Naruto lifted his head with a deep breath, flashing a sad smile to Kakashi before reaching and taking his pills out himself, counting them out, a few more than normal, and popping them in one after another. Kakashi stayed kneeling for this, rubbing the boy's shoulder for every wince and grimace.

"Hey! What is he doing? Taking pills? Is that allowed?" Kiba yelled, over his little blood-breathing fit. Hayate looked to the Hokage, and the old man nodded seriously, eyes still on the small blonde boy.

Kakashi growled lowly, hands still traveling across the blonde boy's shoulders, "You okay now?" he stood and leaned over so he could whisper with the blonde.

"As much as a girl can be, sexy." Naruto looked at him and winked saucily.

"Yep, definitely all right." Kakashi chuckled and pushing the blonde to the center of the arena, so he could start the match again. The jounin appeared up in the stands looking for the world like he hadn't just been caressing his young student so….gently.

Kurenai kept her eyes narrowed.

"Begin….again…" Hayate deadpanned, jumping back.

"Alrighty, Kiba-chan," Naruto began to speak cordially, taking out two kunais and holding them reversed. Spitz was crouching at his side, still with two tails flailing behind him. Akamaru was back with his master, crouching and snarling by his side.

Kiba panted, eying the little blonde in front of him. He already realized that the other was much faster, much stronger than him. He had to get this fight into his advantage. So, he took out his smoke bombs, tossing them as he ran forward, and thick purple smoke enveloped the arena, hiding the fighters from view.

Inside, Naruto was snickering, giggling, dancing around to dodge the Inuzuka. The dog boy was becoming increasingly frustrated, and also slightly scared. If this little blonde could dodge him inside his smoke, where HE should have the advantage, how in gods name will he beat him?

Naruto got bored easily, and he really wasn't in the mood to fight. The pills were making him sleepy and all he really wanted was a nap. He flickered off into a corner of the stadium, unnoticed by Akamaru who was circling the dark smoke to catch him if he falls out. Naruto concentrated past his sleepiness, brought his hands together and made a hand seal, five clones popped into existence. He sent them off to take up positions around the cloud, one flickering into it to keep Kiba distracted and he made the signal.

All five clones (including the original) brought out all their kunai, wrapping explosion seals around every single one with a smile for each.

And then they tossed them ALL into the cloud. The explosion was immense, not with fire but with pure force. Kiba flew out and smashed into the wall, a deafening crack as he did so. He fell to the ground with a definite thump, Naruto beside him in an instant, kneeling beside his head.

"Kiba-chan….Kiba-chaaaaaan." He called, poking the boy in his side and with no response shrugged and flickered to his spot, letting the medic nins take care of him.

"Winner, Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto looked at Kakashi and Sakura; "Did I go too far?" he seemed worried. Sakura smiled and gave him a quick hug, "No, you did fine." Sasuke patted him on the head, which was all he needed to say.

And Kakashi, in an effort to maintain his dignity under the scrutinizing glares of Kurenai and Tsunade both just smiled at the boy, taking out his book, "Well done 'Ruto." Naruto beamed at him.

"Will Nara Shikamaru and Tsuki Kin please come down?" asked Hayate. Naruto bounced over to where Shikamaru was sitting down and chirped happily in his ear, "Good luck little deer."

Shikamaru gave him an odd look, and then smirked slightly, running a hand into the blonde hair. He then took a leisurely stroll down to the arena, where his opponent was impatiently waiting. Naruto stood there with a consternated expression, bringing a finger up to poke at his bottom lip.

Ino noticed him, "Naruto? What's wrong?" the blonde girl eyed the small boy, curious to see why her rival and her Sasuke-kun loved him so much.

"My hair is a drug." He told her seriously, pointing the finger he had been poking his lip with at her.

Ino sweatdropped, "Uh… Okay."

The fights didn't really get interesting for a while. Naruto went over to his team and sat against the wall, looking off into space, his head turning to stare at something unseen every once in a while.

Shikamaru won, Shino won, Sakura won-against Ino no less, it was a good thing Kakashi trained her harder than the boys…she blew the blonde girl away- Chouji lost, Hinata lost, other than that it was non-important genins that Naruto didn't really pay attention to.

Then something caught his attention.

Gaara vs Rock Lee.

Lee was yelling and excited, but Gaara gave no notice he had even heard the examiner. Simply appearing in the arena below in a whirl of sand.

As their fight lengthened, and whispering and evaluating happened on all sides of the room, Naruto became quiet. Then he was silent and clenching his fists to his stomach. Finally, Naruto began to shake.

Gaara panted, growling in his chest. Mother was screaming at him, to kill this fool that tried to defeat her. His hair became wild, sand dropped in clumps from his face, his sand armor was failing but the sand grew every passing second.

Kyuubi was growing agitated. Growling in a low disgusted voice, '**Sand mongrel, betrayer of brothers, little rat stepping out of turn. Should kill him, yes I should, tear him to pieces, rain his blood in his own sands, drown him in it, kill him, kill him now.'**

Naruto shook his head silently.

'**Oh, have you been listening little kit?" **wheedled Kyuubi, his voice suddenly sweetly disgusting, **'have you missed the voice of your true father Kistune? I love you little childling, I do what I can for you, you know that. Why don't you do something for your tired old father hm?"**

Naruto put his hands to his ears vainly trying to force the voice out of his head.

"**Those medicines, they don't really block me out do they?"** Naruto reached into his wonderful white robe, taking out his big bottle of pills.

"**They won't work, its no use." **The blonde popped a few in, "**KILL HIM! Kill the weakling tanuki, weakling mongrel DOG! SPILL HIS BLOOD, SPILL ALL THEIR BLOOD! Kill it, kill, kill, kill, tear, rend flesh, spurting blood, fountains, rain, rivers dripping down your fangs."**

Naruto stared down at Gaara, listening to the mad ravings of the most powerful demon in the world and he popped a few more pills.

One. Gaara slammed Lee into the wall. Two. Lee disappeared under a mountain of sand. Three. Lee escaped. One.

Sakura bit her lip, noticing her teammate's increasing pill popping. Kakashi was having a whispered conversation with guy, in the other side of Team 8, and, giving a significant glance to Sasuke, she hurried over to her teacher.

"Sensei." She whispered urgently, fiddling with the hem of her shirt. Kakashi stopped his argument with Gai and looked at her.

"It's Naruto, he's…" she bit her lip, "reacting badly to Gaara." Kakashi nodded stiffly to Gai and walked back with Sakura, his grey eyes focused on the tense face of his smallest student. It was Kyuubi, he knew, but at the rate the blonde was popping pills it seemed the fox wasn't disappeared as usual.

When he put a hand on the young blondes shoulder and looked into his face, his eyes asked his question.

"He's so loud, Kakashi-sensei, so very silent." The blonde said, his eyes flinching to watching something invisible, "Their hands are so cold." He whimpered, wrapping his arms around himself.

Kakashi didn't know what to do; the boy was slowly drawing further away, and retreating into the world he lived in. The man knelt down, putting himself between Gaara and Naruto. "Naruto, I want you to listen to me," he gently shook him, "please? Listen to me, come on."

Naruto focused on his face, blue eyes opened as wide as they could go. Even now, Kakashi saw red encroaching around the edge of his iris…the Kyuubi was a persistent bugger.

"Alright, Naruto I wan—" "Do you remember when I wanted to kill you?" Naruto interrupted him, suddenly as alert as he had ever been, his eyes searching Kakashi's face intensely.

"err…yeah?" Kakashi did remember, that day on the Academy roof. It also made him remember his stupidity and foolishness concerning the young boy's early life. Naruto shook his head violently, "I don't want to anymore okay? Not anymore!" he was insistent, suddenly strong hands gripping Kakashi's vest in a desperate lurch.

Kakashi felt his heartstrings pull. The boy sounded so heartbroken, "Alright Naruto, alright, it's all right, just don't listen to him anymore. He knows nothing." Kakashi whispered to the poor child, his sharingan eye filling with tears.

Naruto gave a shuddering breath and then collapsed against Kakashi, knocking him over. He wasn't as small as he used to be…that might have been because of Kakashi's training.

Kakashi sat back against the wall, the blonde crying against his chest. He had Naruto's head pressed sideways into his vest, and put his arm over the other ear, knowing somehow, that the Kyuubi was loud; too loud for the blonde to handle. Also, the menacing force of Gaara, who had just destroyed Gai's student, was bothering him.

Sakura knelt next to them, putting a hand on the blondes back. Sasuke leaned against the wall on the other side. Kakashi was suddenly overwhelmed with pride of his team, of how they had grown. Who were they at the beginning of the team? An unknown crazy boy, a dark avenger and a girl with no self esteem.

The moment lasted for only a bit, and then the wrath of a large-chested woman fell upon them. Well, not wrath per se, it was more of a cold, freezing storm.

"Hatake." Tsunade bit out quietly under her breath. Kurenai was watching the proceedings with thinly veiled smugness. Hinata, however, was watching with pity and disappointment of her teacher.

Kakashi cleared his throat, suddenly aware of the compromising situation, "Tsunade-sama. Um, Naruto was having tenant problems, and, shouldn't you be monitoring the match?" he asked nervously, suddenly aware that it was nearly the end of the preliminaries.

"Sarutobi has it." Her eyes narrowed, watching him intently, "what's wrong with my son?"

Kakashi stood up, taking Naruto with him. The blonde boy seemed out of it, staring off into the distance but not ever letting go of his sensei. He leaned closer to Tsunade, aware that the other teams were close by. Sasuke and Sakura stood on both side of them, making sure that there was good space between Team 8 and 10 form their sensei.

"Those medications don't work anymore. Naruto can barely handle the Kyuubi in his head. Something is wrong with that Gaara kid…Ruto's reacting with his presence and nearly just overdosed himself trying to block out the _thing_ in his head." Kakashi's voice had become angry.

Tsunade didn't shift her expression, "Impossible, I made those pills myself, they're strong enough to down a horse."

Kakashi resisted the urge to sneer, knowing she would be able to see it under his mask, "Well, they're not working anymore are they?" he was being rude and he knew it. But this was Naruto he was talking about.

Tsunade gave him a searching looked before kneeling by her adopted son. "Naruto? Naru baby, it's mum." She wheedled, trying to turn his head towards her.

The blonde's head swung like it was a hundred pounds and he regarded her with that thousand mile stare that drove straight to her core.

"Naru, why were you taking you're pills? Only a few should work." Tsunade brushed his hair back.

Kakashi resisted a huge impulse to slap her hand away, remembering that she was his mother. Just not a very interested mother. Kakashi busied himself with keeping the boy standing and avoided the other teachers' eyes.

"You lied." Naruto whispered, still staring into Tsunade's heart, "the pills don't work." The woman looked like she had just been slapped in the face. Kakashi felt a moment's pity.

While they were all occupied, all the matches had finished.

"Will the winners all come line up in the arena please?" Wheezed Hayate.

Naruto twitched and fell out of Kakashi's grip. He held his teammates hands as they walked down to the arena. Kakashi watched over them from the teachers section, a silent Tsunade and a seething Kurenai beside him.

Hayate began his speech on the month of training, handing out the numbers. The third exam went like this.

Nara Shikamaru vs Temari

Kankuro vs Aburame Shino

Haruno Sakura vs Uchiha Sasuke

Uzumaki Naruto vs Gaara

Vs Dozu

* * *

Team seven trooped out of the arena, blinking against the surprising sunlight.

"A month." Naruto mused, "What are we going to do for a month?" he still held the hands of Sakura and Sasuke, swinging them back and forth like a small child.

"Train! Of course,w hat else is there?" Kakashi eye-smiled back at them, holding his book. Before they could say anymore, two Anbu popped down from out of knowhere.

"Hatake Kakashi and Uzumaki Naruto, the Godaime wishes to see you." One spoke.

Sakura blinked, "Godaime? Did Sandaime retire again?"

"We are not authorized to say." Said Two.

"Then why did you say Godaime in the first place?" Sasuke said crossly, "now, we'll just go about spreading rumors."

The anbu were silent before One said, "All of you come with us."

Sakura and Sasuke were smirking, and they caught the subtle wink their sensei sent at them. At least Team Seven could face this as a team.

Tsunade sat at her desk, wearing her brand new hat and holding a newly opened bottle of sake. Behind her stood Sarutobi, Kurenai and Jiraiya, all with varying degrees of emotions. Sandaime was resigned, tired and seemed to wilt under his age. Kurenai was somewhat angry, confused, and suspicious all at the same time, but also a smug feeling of righteous victory seethed underneath. Jiraiya was just bored with the whole thing, but also worried of consequences, both for his teammate and his son.

The Anbu and team seven stomped into the Hokage's office, inciting a scowl from the blonde woman.

"I thought I said I just wanted Hatake and my son?" she demanded, Anbu One stepped forward.

"Forgive us Tsunade-sama, but Uchiha and Haruno became privy to unauthorized information."

Tsunade waved him away, "Whatever, I don't care. So, Hatake Kakashi, do you know why you have been called here?" Kakashi fidgeted, "Um…no…Hokage-sama." He replied belatedly.

Tsunade's gaze sharpened to include Naruto by his side. The blonde wasn't looking at her, he was looking at the pale shades around him. Not very many were in this office, just two large prominent ones. They were stronger, but they didn't reach for him. They just watched.

"Naruto-kun, do you know why you're here?" she asked, her voice just a bit softer. Naruto suddenly smiled, tilting his head directly to the left towards Kakashi and said, "Maaaybe." Then his smiled dropped and he _glared._

Tsunade twitched at that, but overcoming it she turned her gaze to the ninja she could control, and feeling a headache in the back of her head she wanted to get it over with quickly.

"Hatake Kakashi, you have been charged with the child molestation and pedophilia on one Uzumaki Naruto, such serious charges merit two months in custody to determine your innocence. Anbu, take him away. May Kami save your soul you disgrace of a human." She snarled, coming out form behind her desk. Amid Sakura's cry and Sasuke's yell, two Anbu appeared on either side of the silver haired jounin. He seemed zoned, blinking and his mouth opening like he wanted to say something.

Finally sighing, the man lowered his gaze and exited the door without trouble, deliberately not looking at the blonde child behind him, if he did nothing could have gotten him out of the room.

Tsunade knelt before her adopted child, smiling at him, "Are you alright Naru-chan? Did he hurt you or scare you?" Naruto just stared at her, shocked.

"You…took him away?"

"Naruto…" Sakura started, lifting a hand to go to him. Tsunade waved her and Sasuke away.

"Naruto-chan, I know it was for the best, he isn't the one for you. It was bad for him to have ever touched you, we'll take care of him for you." Her gaze hardened.

He shook his head, "no…that's not…no.."

**What did I tell you.**

Naruto squeezed his eyes shut, ignoring whatever his mother was saying now.

**Didn't I say things would turn out for the worse for you? Your wonder-boy Silver is gooooone now. Nobody to save you now if I take over. Nobody nobody nobody.** The Kyuubi grinned.

"No…He's….no!" He wrapped his arms around his head and squatted. Tsunade clucked over him, her face worried, "my dear what's wrong? What's wrong? Your not sick…Jiraiya! Get over here! There's something wrong!"

Jiraiya, despite have an expression of disapproval towards the woman's actions immediately began to get to his boy. Then, a voice spoke that none but Naruto had ever heard. It was booming, clear as day.

**You're mine.**

Chakra exploded around the boy, causing Tsunade to shoot back and ram into Jiraiya, the both of them being pushed into the wall.

"NO! NO GO AWAY! HE'S HERE! HE WOULDN'T LEAVE ME!" Naruto screamed, eyes wide and his hair unruffled amid the storm of the blowing, boiling red chakra around him. Pleading, his eyes turned towards Tsunade, towards his mother.

"YOU MADE HIM LEAVE! NO NO NO NO NO NO! HE WASN'T SUPPOSED TO LEAVE! SHUT UP! GET OUT OF MY HEAD! Why would you do such a thing mother."

Then he was still, eyes growing dim, All Naruto saw was a shadow,, a large shadow of a giant fox, creeping out from under him. Tsunade held a hand to her mouth, shocked at the display. Kurenai, trapped between the Hokage's desk and the wall was just as shocked, wondering at the strength of the boy, and at his reaction. Was she wrong?

Sakura and Sasuke were huddled at the side of the room, eyes fixed on the form of their teammate. "He's losing this time Sasuke-kun." Sakura whispered. The dark haired boy only swallowed.

Down the stairs, Kakashi walked in silence between his guards, thinking voer everything he had done, what he had given in to the blonde. But, something bugged him.

'I don't regret anything' he thought, and he smiled. Then, a terrible feeling of malice and chakra exploded from behind them, in the office.

**You're mine.**

The Kyuubi…Kakashi's eyes hardened. Not yours, MINE.

"Sorry Hana." He turned in a flash and punched the woman Anbu in the stomach hard enough to send her into the way, and a leg the other direction in the unknown Anbu Two.

Within seconds he was up the stairs and throwing open the door, flinching at the heat.

There was his blonde. _Naruto._ Without a second thought, and using a stupid amount of his own chakra, Kakashi formed a protective shell around himself, spending chakra simply to harden the outside into a seamless cover. Any crack and the Kyuubi's chakra could needle its way in and destroy him.

Kakashi dived, ending with his body encircling the kneeling boy. Kakashi didn't speak this time, instead, he spoke to Kyuubi.

"Let. Him. Go." He growled, his voice with an uncharacteristic feral quality, anger saturating his words and a painful threat hovering behind them. He could feel Kyuubis anger, his offense to be order around, but he was wary around Kakashi, for some reason, the being didn't harm him.

It receded.

Chakra storm fell, the presence left, Kakashi released his own shield, and everybody gave a sigh of relief. Kakashi fell over sideways, having spent all his chakra.

Naruto fell with him, groaning when he hit the floor, "Furry bastards too much of a damn opportunist." Then he snuggled into Kakashi's shoulder.

Struck by the hilarity of the situation, the jounin broke into laughter, falling so he was lying flat on the floor of the Hokage's office, a young blonde at his side and his leader and team sitting around them.

Tsunade was gaping, "Whaa…what?"

Kurenai was shitting bricks. 'That was the Kyuubi. THE KYUUBI' the kid deals with that in his mind constantly?

Jiraiya was grinning at Kakashi, "Well boy, you sure do know how to pick them."

Kakashi rolled his head to look at the big man, who had one arm around the shell-shocked Tsunade, "Don't I know it." The statement earned him a punch in the side from his favorite blonde.

* * *

THAT'S ALL I CAN DO!

ALL I CAN DO.

Next is the month before the exams and the exams themselves.

-mayu


	9. Chapter 9

GUESS WHAT! I got my first flaming today! :-)

Someone named Dhh decided to call me a waste of space for writing, "a disgusting and cliché storyline", "no talent", "TRASH", and continued on the same stream for a good 300 words.

Not only did this person read my story (which isn't Purgatory by the way, it's another, which I have since discontinued) they clicked to my own profile, took the time to write a PM message instead of just reviewing or even just closing the window altogether, and call me a talentless author who preys on little girls for writing entertainment.

Really, I didn't even write anything Graphic, and didn't have any such things in mind as I was writing it. Evil is in the eye of the beholder I suppose. ? is that even a phrase?

Though, I must say, quite a bit of trouble to go through simply to say that yeah? Haha.

-mayu

Chapter 9

Purgatory

Naruto sat in a tree.

But not just any tree. No, this one was the tallest he could find in the training grounds. So high, he could clearly see over top all the other trees, and see the village and monument. Wind rustled his hair and the hem of his robe. How strange it was that the shapes didn't come outside of the village.

"Naruto!" called Sakura, "Hurry up down here! Kakashi's back!"

Naruto flickered down to her, smiling when she blinked at his sudden arrival. Sakura smirked, putting an arm around his shoulders, noticing now that he was the same height as her. '_When did that happen?'_

Sasuke sat on one of the stumps, a hand subconsciously scratching at his shoulder. When he saw them coming, the hand left its spot, waving to them. Sakura's eyes softened at the thought of the curse mark, it had been bothering the boy since the forest, becoming more and more prominent, even with the seal on it.

Kakashi himself stood just a bit in front of Sasuke, his hands on his hips. When he saw Naruto and Sakura coming, his eyes locked onto the blonde's and his happy smile was just for Naruto alone. There was emotion in that dark eye that made Naruto feel like giggling like a school girl. Sakura laughed and started to run, holding Naruto's hand.

Naruto stopped running, something was odd. He couldn't feel any wind, but the trees were obviously waving. He numbly slipped his hand out of Sakura's feeling his heart cringe when she stopped and turned confused. Kakashi took a few steps towards him, a hand outstretched, and Sasuke frowned.

"Naruto? What's wrong?" asked Kakashi, tears pricked at Naruto's eyes.

"Is this a dream?" Naruto whispered, folding into himself. Sakura grinned, showing off her sharp, sparkly teeth, "**Yes**"

Naruto found himself in a sewer, standing and glaring up into the red eyes that stared into his soul. "You little bitch." Naruto said, his face expressing his displeasure.

The great beast laughed ironically, not saying anything else. Those red eyes swirled around and around until Naruto fell, landing on the ground in their training area.

He moaned a little, more like a curious mewl than anything, but his body was feeling sore. "Ruto," started Kakashi, "how are you feeling?" the man had a hand on his arm, a warm heavy feeling. Naruto sat up, shifting his shoulders to get rid of that terrible stiff feeling.

"Huh, they're so dark now." Naruto replied with. His team shared worried glances. Sakura cleared her throat, "What's dark Ruto?" Naruto blinked lazily at her before sighing and sitting up, shaking his head. "Nevermind." He whispered.

The blonde reached into his clothes and grabbed a new bottle of pills, these ones small and blue. Taking one, he choked it back and then quite literally threw himself to his feet. He cartwheeled away from them, finally stopping on his hands, with his feet in the air, kicking slightly. The three blinked at him, then at each other before laughing.

Sasuke stood and wiped his black pants. He had begun to take after Kakashi, wrapping bandages around his shins. Even the way his hair sat, where once it just stood out in the back, had now adopted an odd three sided style, sticking out from the back and sides of his head. He cleared his throat. He slipped into a prowling stance, his legs far apart, and his hands at his ankles. Suddenly, an uncharacteristic grin spilt his face and he disappeared forward.

Sakura rolled her eyes, scoffing at the boys playing around with pointy weapons. Honestly, the exam was tomorrow, couldn't they just relax?

"I'm hungry!" Naruto shrieked, bouncing happily off of a tree trunk.

Kakashi snorted, "And I suppose I'm paying am I?" Three unanimous yes's came from his students, and he rolled his eyes heavenward.

Naruto spared a glance at the dark shapes on the edge of the clearing, feeling a small bit of worry pass through him before the pills eradicated it. "Sensei-kun, how am I going to be able to beat Gaara?" he asked quietly, feeling for once a bit of insecurity.

His team picked up on this and surrounded him as they entered the village proper. Kakashi looked down at the blue eyes staring up at him imploringly and sighed, "Don't worry Naruto. Your speed will keep you away from him, and the handful of offensive ninjutsu's I and your father taught you should be enough to get through to him. Personally, I think the wind sword will do the most damage."

Naruto pursed his lips and nodded, reaching to his side and taking a hold of Kakashi's jacket pocket. Maybe he could do this. In his mind, chains slammed against the cage bars but no voice came from his wonderful Daddy Kitsune.

Wonderful. Pfft.

Naruto hummed, sitting on a bench in the waiting area, legs crossed and his eyes unfocused and drowsy. Sakura and Sasuke stood next to him, talking in low voices. Sakura kept wringing her hands. She had been given new, fingerless gloves from Kakashi, and kept fidgeting with them. Sasuke on the other hand stood with his arms crossed, but his eyes were darting about, staring at everyone else with an odd sense of suspicion.

Sakura leaned over to him, whispering, "Remember, Ruto, what your mum said. Remember? Don't forget now, love." Sakura reached out and swept one of his bangs away from his eyes. He smiled at her for it, before it slipped from his face and he stared at the shadow behind her, which stood still.

"Why are they so dark?" he whined, a touch of fear entering his voice. Sakura exchanged a worried look with Sasuke before she let the blonde be.

Sasuke took hold of her hand and led her way to a small alcove, leaving Naruto to pull his feet up to sit cross-legged and allow Spitz to settle on them. Naruto petted the fox's head, very softly feeling his ears and paws.

"He's been getting worse. Soon, those pills will interfere with his abilities. Who knows what will happen then." Sasuke pursed his lips seriously.

Sakura nodded, "I know, but what can we do. They're the only thing keeping fuzz controlled, without the pill, Ruto can't control himself." She wrung her hands harder, "Oh, Sasuke, I'm starting to get scared for him." He put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a look but said nothing.

But then, the proctor called the match to be Temari's and the crowd roared. Shikamaru had as much won, caught her in his shadow but then surrendered, giving the fan-girl an undeserved win.

"Kankuro of the Sand, and Aburame Shino of the Leaf." The next were called down and left with similar grave faces.

Naruto rolled his head to the ceiling before eyeing Shikamaru as the Nara sat down beside him. The lazy boy gave a sigh and then slumped, sinking into the bench.

Naruto smiled at him brightly and said, "Sneaky."

The Nara gave him a look, before rolling his eyes then thumping his head back, instantly asleep.

"Winner! Kankuro!" people clapped, slightly less enthusiastic as it was quite a short match. Shino just wasn't fast enough. Naruto's teammates exchanged looks, both giving Naruto a smile, or 'twitch of the lips' from Sasuke, and went down to their match.

Naruto watched avidly as his teammates began to fight, kunai screeching and dust being kicked up.

Shikamaru grumbled beside him and the blonde giggled.

It was a rather close fight, and since it was between teammates, rather long. They each knew each other's moves and so had a counter the second the other took a step.

As it is, they had decided between themselves that Sasuke would win, if only by a small increment. Sakura knew Sasuke could have beaten her to the ground if he had let loose, but really, when would Sasuke ever let loose.

So, she conceded defeat to a roaring applause, and accepted the Uchiha's hand up.

Then, Naruto was being called down. To the boos of the crowd, the encouragement of his friends, and with the heavy burning gaze of his Kakashi on him, Naruto gently hopped over the banister, floating down to the ground like the wind itself was caressing him.

Gaara met him in the arena, face impassive.

Naruto rocked back on his heels very slowly, before rocking forward. He did so to the beat of his own heart, four beats to each swing. On the very last rock before Genma called the match, Naruto smiled, and burst into red flames.

IT'S BEEN TOO LONG MY FRIENDS!

I know, super late, super slow, it's not as good as the rest I know.

Life sucks ladies and gentlemen, life sucks.

Would you believe, that school has caught up to me and I'm much too busy going to work for money to buy food, then going to school to learn how to be a good writer to bother with fanfiction. I actually have to write meaningful, original pieces now.

It's sad. I know.

But, I'm on the verge of ending this, I know it sucks, but I will try to get a good conclusion, then anyone who reeeeeaaally wants to try a hand can start a sequel! Wouldn't that be cool!

-Mayu – (stay thirsty my friends)


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